Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

The AP [8/28/2025 5:27 PM, John O’connor and Sophia Tareen, 37974K] reports the Trump administration asked a military base outside of Chicago for support on immigration operations this week, offering a clue of what an expanded law enforcement crackdown might look like in the nation’s third-largest city. The Department of Homeland Security asked Naval Station Great Lakes for “limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations,” Matt Mogle, spokesperson for the base 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Chicago, said Wednesday. The request came weeks after the Republican administration deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to target crime, immigration and homelessness, and two months after it sent troops to Los Angeles. Although details of the administration’s plans for Chicago are scarce, city leaders said Thursday that they are preparing for multiple possible scenarios, from troops assisting in immigration arrests to patrolling in the streets. “We don’t want to raise any fears,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters. “We don’t want to create any speculation around what’s going on.” City leaders said Thursday that the White House hadn’t contacted them about its plans, and a spokesman for the Illinois National Guard said the base hadn’t received requests regarding a Chicago mobilization. Mogle, the base spokesman, said no decisions had been made on the request, and that the base hadn’t received an official request to support a National Guard deployment. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported on the request to the Navy base. DHS did not confirm whether it had asked to use the base. But it said in a statement Thursday that it was working to make “our streets and cities safe again. The Wall Street Journal [8/28/2025 1:35 PM, Victoria Albert, 646K] reports the Trump administration is weighing the use of a naval base north of Chicago as an ICE operations center, border czar Tom Homan said Thursday. “The planning is still being discussed,” Homan told reporters. President Trump has intensified his focus on Chicago, warning that it is likely to be the next target in what he has called a crackdown on crime. The administration already deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles earlier this year, sparking criticism from local Democratic leadership and concerns over the use of military power on American soil. Homan said a “large contingent” of resources would be sent to Chicago but declined to give specifics. He declined to say whether National Guard troops would also use the base. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive, has pushed back against the deployment of the National Guard in his city. Violent crime in Chicago has dropped more than 21% since the beginning of the year, his office said earlier this week. The city has also drawn the administration’s ire for its sanctuary protections for immigrants. The Trump administration sued Illinois and Chicago earlier this year over laws and ordinances it said thwart federal immigration-enforcement efforts. A judge dismissed the suit in July. The administration has sued several other Democratic-led cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Rochester, N.Y., as part of a wider campaign to push local authorities to help achieve Trump’s aggressive deportation goals. Homan said the administration would continue to target cities that don’t cooperate with ICE. CBS News [8/28/2025 5:57 PM, Sara Tenenbaum, 45245K] reports CBS News Chicago reported the Department of Homeland Security has been in talks with administrators at Naval Sation Great Lakes over infrastructure and logistical help for ICE staff assisting with immigration efforts in the Chicago area. It was not immediately clear if those discussions were prompted by planned escalations of immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security released a statement, saying, "President Trump has been clear: we are going to make our streets and cities safe again. Across the country, DHS law enforcement are arresting and removing the worst of worst including gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists that have terrorized American communities. Under Secretary Noem, ICE and CBP are working overtime to deliver on the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again.". Bloomberg [8/28/2025 1:00 PM, Jennifer A. Dlouhy, 19085K] reports Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have stressed they don’t want such assistance. “We will stop that problem in Chicago in two months, maybe less — two months we’ll stop it,” Trump said in a cabinet meeting this week. “These are tough cookies we have working for us.” Trump has already moved the DC Police Department under federal control and ordered about 2,000 National Guard troops to patrol the nation’s capital. He sent 5,000 troops to the Los Angeles area amid anti-deportation protests in June, though most were demobilized within weeks and about 300 remained by the end of last month, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom. California sued over the deployment. Chicago is preparing for all possible scenarios. At a press conference on Thursday, Johnson reiterated that the National Guard would not have the ability to act as federal agents and arrest Chicagoans.

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CNN [8/28/2025 2:00 PM, Priscilla Alvarez, et al., 662K] reports the Trump administration is preparing to conduct a major immigration enforcement operation in Chicago as soon as next week, according to multiple sources familiar with the planning, marking the latest escalation between the president and a Democratic-led city. President Donald Trump and his aides have repeatedly slammed Chicago over policies that limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement. Chicago grappled with an influx of migrants during the Biden administration following surges along the US southern border and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to transport migrants to Democratic-led cities. Chicago was among the first cities targeted in immigration enforcement operations when Trump took office in January. The administration also sued the city over its so-called sanctuary policies, though the case was dismissed when a judge ruled the federal government lacked the legal standing to bring the challenge, and threatened to withhold federal funding, which was also blocked by a judge. Now, the anticipated operations in Chicago are expected to be at a larger scale, using personnel from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and possibly other agencies. Officials are preparing the National Guard to help if a peacekeeping presence is needed, akin to what unfolded in Los Angeles following protests, the sources said. Preparations for Chicago are already underway, including sending armored vehicles to the city in the coming days and surging federal agents by next Friday, Sept. 5, when, according to two sources, the operation is expected to kick off. Discussions, however, are still ongoing and planning is in flux. White House officials have made clear that these plans are distinct from the idea the president has suggested over the past week to use federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to carry out a broader crime crackdown in Chicago, similar to the current surge in Washington, DC. Those discussions, which center on “cleaning up domestic Chicago crime,” as one of the officials put it, are ongoing and are not a part of this immigration-focused operation (though the effort in Washington has yielded a huge spike in immigration-related arrests). Instead, the blueprint for the Chicago operation has been established in Los Angeles. The Department of Homeland Security has touted enforcement operations there, taking to social media to boast about arrests and embracing aggressive tactics. This week, the department announced it made 5,000 arrests in Los Angeles since June. White House border czar Tom Homan said Thursday that planning for Chicago was still underway. He added that there are talks underway to use a Naval base north of Chicago as a hub for federal personnel. The Navy declined to comment on potential plans and referred questions to DHS. “Across the country, DHS law enforcement are arresting and removing the worst of worst including gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists that have terrorized American communities,” a senior Homeland Security official said in a statement to CNN when asked about upcoming operations in Chicago. “Under Secretary Noem, ICE and CBP are working overtime to deliver on the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again.” The National Guard’s role in Chicago would be similar to what it was in Los Angeles, where troops were on Title 10 orders, meaning they had been federalized and were barred by the Posse Comitatus Act from engaging in law enforcement activities. The situation is different in DC, where troops are on Title 32 orders. That normally means they report to the governor — in the unique case of DC, that authority falls to the president and is typically delegated to the Army Secretary — and are not subject to Posse Comitatus. There would be broader legal concerns if the Trump administration tried something similar in Illinois. The New York Times [8/28/2025 9:49 PM, Hamed Aleaziz, 143795K] reports the Trump administration is making plans for an immigration crackdown in Chicago that would involve 200 homeland security officials and the use of a naval base outside the city as a staging area, according to internal documents obtained by The New York Times. The request to use a Naval Station in Illinois, drafted in recent days by the Homeland Security Department, suggested that the Trump administration was planning a sustained operation, potentially for the month of September. The request, should it be granted by the Defense Department, would be a notable example of the nation’s military resources being used for civilian law enforcement by an administration that has increasingly blurred the line between them. The city has long been a target of the Trump administration. In recent weeks, President Trump has called the city a “mess,” and immigration officials have clashed with city’s leadership over Chicago’s status as a so-called sanctuary city, which generally refers to places that limit cooperation with agents looking to deport undocumented immigrants. “Chicago still has a crime problem. So President Trump, again, made a promise to the American people he will make the country safe again,” said Tom Homan, Mr. Trump’s border czar. He said that there were “discussions” about using the base; he would not confirm how many people would be sent there. Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago issued a blistering response to reports of the crackdown. “This plan seems to be a rerun of their tactics in Los Angeles, where ICE agents were used as a pretext to justify further escalation by federal agents and National Guard troops,” he said in a statement. “We reject any attempts that put Chicagoans in danger as a means of furthering the president’s political ends.” He said the city would “ensure that Chicagoans know their rights” and help families learn what to do if detained. The plans for the operation also dovetail with Mr. Trump’s promise to take his crackdown on crime beyond Washington. “I think Chicago will be our next, and then we’ll help with New York,” Mr. Trump said last week after he deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington and his administration tried to make the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration the emergency police commissioner. The Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement across the country, seeking to target and arrest people in jurisdictions that typically don’t work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including Los Angeles and Boston.

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Politico [8/28/2025 1:00 PM, Shia Kapos, 2100K] reports with a possible federal troop deployment looming, city officials and the Chicago Police Department are preparing a response plan forged during last year’s Democratic National Convention. Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters Thursday that the Trump administration has not communicated any information about if or when National Guard troops might be sent to Chicago, so city officials are relying on the playbook they used to prepare for the convention that brought in some 50,000 people, including protesters. President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy federal troops in Chicago to fight crime, a move that has drawn criticism from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic leaders in this blue state. “We’re preparing to make sure that we have the manpower in place,” said Police Superintendent Larry Snelling. “We’ve done this work through the DNC. The preparation is to make sure that all our officers are aware of the welcoming city ordinance, which we’ve done some extensive training around,” he said, referring to the city rule that prohibits city employees from enforcing federal immigration laws. Missing from their action plan so far is communication with the federal government on reported plans to bring the National Guard to Chicago, acknowledged Johnson and Snelling. They spoke to reporters to allay concerns of Chicago residents about how a federal troop deployment might play out. They pointed to the DNC, which included large but peaceful protests, few arrests and little violence. When asked about how CPD would interact with the National Guard if deployed, Snelling said they are working on being prepared but hope for more from D.C. “Communication between CPD and the National Guard would be most helpful because that’s where we could find balance,” Snelling said. Without that, the police superintendent added, he’s been in contact with police in Washington, D.C., about the deployment there in an effort to understand “how they worked with the National Guard.” The mayor’s top aides for homelessness, immigrant rights and public safety also joined Johnson and Snelling and reiterated the city’s position that Chicago police would not assist in immigration enforcement.

Chicago Tribune [8/28/2025 1:00 PM, Jake Sheridan and Alice Yin, 5352K] reports that Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Thursday he will not direct his officers to obstruct a potential federal crackdown on the streets but expressed hope that some communication with his department could lower tensions in a city already on edge. The city’s top cop joined Mayor Brandon Johnson to brief reporters on the rumored influx of federal troops and law enforcement as President Donald Trump threatens to target Chicago next for a military occupation. The two city leaders said they have not heard from the White House, though Trump’s border czar Tom Homan told reporters in Washington, D.C., Thursday that preparations were underway for an immigration crackdown in Chicago, and reports said it could commence as soon as next week. But Snelling repeated that his door is open for the feds to inform him about any deployment, suggesting he wanted Chicago police to take on the least hostile role possible in order to mitigate some of the “chaos” that could erupt. Homan also confirmed Thursday that the administration was considering using the Naval Station Great Lakes base north of Chicago to host federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ahead of immigration raids. “There’s discussions about that, yes,” Homan told reporters outside the White House. He declined to say whether National Guard troops might also be housed there. “We’re not going to tell you how many resources we’re going to send to the city. We don’t want the bad guy to know what we’re sending. It will be a large contingent,” Homan said.

Bloomberg [8/28/2025 12:04 PM, Michael Smith, 19085K] reports the detention camp in the Everglades known as Alligator Alcatraz is being emptied, just two months after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build it to help President Donald Trump’s plan to deport millions of migrants. Videos posted on social media Wednesday showed buses leaving the camp under police escort headed east, toward Miami, and the Department of Homeland Security confirmed it’s moving people to other facilities. US District Court Judge Kathleen Williams last week ordered the camp dismantled within 60 days, finding that it was built without a proper environmental review. Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said in an Aug. 22 email that "we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days" at the Everglades camp, according to a copy of the message seen by Bloomberg. Guthrie, who runs the camp, was responding to a request by Miami Beach Rabbi Mario Rojzman to allow area clergy to minister to detainees. For weeks, attorneys and lawmakers have reported a drop in the number of migrants being held inside the sprawling collection of tents and trailers, which was built to hold about 3,000 people. Trump administration officials described the facility as a template for quickly expanding the capacity to lock up migrants nationwide. The camp gained national prominence the day it opened, on July 1, when Trump made a last-minute visit. DeSantis has made the camp, built on a little-used airfield surrounded by wetlands teeming with alligators and mosquitoes, a showcase for his quest to play a high-profile role in Trump’s immigration crackdown. That came at a high cost. DeSantis had the facility built in just eight days, using emergency powers and at least $330 million of no-bid contracts to build and operate it to firms that provide temporary housing and other services in the aftermath of hurricanes. NPR [8/28/2025 11:22 AM, Greg Allen, 34837K] reports District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered Florida and the Trump administration to stop bringing new detainees to the facility and to wind down operations there within 60 days. The judge issued the preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups and the Miccosukee tribe. In a declaration filed in the case last week, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost said that on a tour he was told the current population was between 300 and 350. On a whiteboard listing the number of detainees at the time of his tour, he said "336" was written. Since then, says Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, volunteers monitoring the site have seen at least three buses containing detainees leaving the facility. "It’s a relief that the state appears to be phasing out operations ... in compliance with the judge’s order," she says. "When the last detainee leaves, the state should turn off the lights and shut the door behind them, because it’s not an appropriate place for a detention center.". In her order, Williams said the plaintiffs had shown that the hasty construction appeared to violate federal law requiring public input, consideration of alternatives and an environmental impact statement. Florida and the Trump administration have appealed the decision and are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to stay the lower court’s injunction. Florida built the detention center at the lightly used Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the heart of the Everglades. The state says it expects to spend more than $400 million to build and operate the facility. So far, records show that DeSantis has signed contracts to spend about $245 million on the detention center. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it is moving detainees to other facilities to comply with the judge’s order. But in a statement, a DHS spokesperson said, "This activist judge doesn’t care about the invasion of our country facilitated by the Biden administration, but the American people do. We have the law, the facts, and common sense on our side.".

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 10:51 AM, Jason Hopkins, 985K] reports Alligator Alcatraz is phasing out migrant detainees as lawsuits against the facility pile on and a federal judge repeatedly rules against the Trump administration. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, appointed to the bench in Florida by the Obama administration, denied a request on Wednesday by the Trump administration and Florida officials to pause her previous order demanding operations at Alligator Alcatraz wind down, according to court documents. Federal officials have since confirmed that detainees at the Florida detention center are being transferred to other facilities. "Defendants rehash the same general arguments about the importance of immigration enforcement they presented during the Preliminary Injunction Hearing," Williams wrote in her eight-page order. "As Defendants provide no new evidence or argument about the particular dangerousness of the detainee population at [Alligator Alcatraz] or the need for a detention facility in this particular location, the Court will not repeat the shortcomings of Defendants’ claims here.". Siding with environmentalists suing against the facility, Williams earlier in August ordered a temporary restraining order against any further construction of Alligator Alcatraz while debate over whether the facility violates environmental laws continued. The Obama-appointed judge ordered an indefinite halt on new construction on Aug. 21 and prohibited new detainees from being brought into the facility, according to court documents. Florida officials appealed the order, but Williams on Wednesday declined to pause her ruling pending appeal. Referring to her as an "activist judge," the Trump administration ripped Williams in a public statement. "Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens," a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson stated to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

NewsNation [8/28/2025 4:06 PM, Jeff Arnold, 6811K] reports the Florida migrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" must continue moving toward shutting down, a federal judge ruled late Wednesday, which could cost state taxpayers more than $218 million. The Department of Homeland Security told NewsNation on Thursday it is complying with U.S. Judge Kathleen Williams’ ruling but will fight "tooth and nail" to keep removing "the worst of the worst" of migrant criminals off the streets despite the judge’s ruling this week. Williams denied requests by the Florida Division of Emergency Management to move away from her previous decision that the detention center, which was constructed and opened in less than two weeks, would begin to shut down indefinitely. On Thursday, a DHS senior official told NewsNation that the agency is moving detainees from "Alligator Alcatraz" to other facilities.

(B) NBC News Daily [8/28/2025 3:34 PM, Staff] reports the Alligator Alcatraz detention center could be empty in a matter of days according to an email exchange less than a week after a federal judge in Miami ordered the detention center to wind down operations. Since Alligator Alcatraz was quickly built two months ago, multiple lawsuits have been filed opposing the facility. Local faith leaders in Florida sent a letter to the state agency that runs Alligator Alcatraz requesting access so they can provide spiritual counseling to the immigrant detainees. The head of the agency responded the facility could be down to zero individuals within a few days to comply with the judge’s orders.

AP [8/28/2025 4:19 PM, Mike Schneider and Kate Payne] reports Florida taxpayers could be on the hook for $218 million the state spent to convert a remote training airport in the Everglades into an immigration detention center dubbed " Alligator Alcatraz." The facility may soon be empty as a judge upheld her decision late Wednesday ordering operations to wind down indefinitely. Shutting down the facility for the time being would cost the state $15 million to $20 million immediately, and it would cost another $15 million to $20 million to reinstall structures if Florida is allowed to reopen it, according to court filings by the state. The Florida Division of Emergency Management will lose most of the value of the $218 million it has invested in making the airport suitable for a detention center, a state official said in court papers. As of late July, state officials had already signed more than $245 million in contracts for building and operating the facility, which officially opened July 1. The center has been plagued by reports of unsanitary conditions and detainees being cut off from the legal system. It’s also facing several legal challenges, including one that U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled on late Wednesday. She denied requests to pause her order to wind down operations, after agreeing last week with environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe that the state and federal defendants didn’t follow federal law requiring an environmental review for the detention center in the middle of sensitive wetlands. The Miami judge said the number of detainees was already dwindling, and the federal government’s "immigration enforcement goals will not be thwarted by a pause in operations." That’s despite Department of Homeland Security lawyers saying the judge’s order would disrupt that enforcement. When asked, the Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t say how many detainees remained and how many had been moved out since the judge’s temporary injunction last week. The facility was already being emptied of detainees as of last week, according to an email exchange shared with the AP on Wednesday.

AP [8/28/2025 7:47 PM, Michael Biesecker and Joshua Goodman, 37974K] reports when President Donald Trump’s administration last month awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to build and operate what it says will become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex, it didn’t turn to a large government contractor or even a firm that specializes in private prisons. Instead, it handed the project on a military base to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a small business that has no listed experience running a correction facility and had never won a federal contract worth more than $16 million. The company also lacks a functioning website and lists as its address a modest home in suburban Virginia owned by a 77-year-old retired Navy flight officer. The mystery over the award only deepened last week as the new facility began to accept its first detainees. The Pentagon has refused to release the contract or explain why it selected Acquisition Logistics over a dozen other bidders to build the massive tent camp at Fort Bliss in West Texas. At least one competitor has filed a complaint. The secretive — and brisk — contracting process is emblematic, experts said, of the government’s broader rush to fulfill the Republican president’s pledge to arrest and deport an estimated 10 million migrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal status. As part of that push, the government is turning increasingly to the military to handle tasks that had traditionally been left to civilian agencies. A member of Congress who recently toured the camp said she was concerned that such a small and inexperienced firm had been entrusted to build and run a facility expected to house up to 5,000 migrants. “It’s far too easy for standards to slip,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes Fort Bliss. “Private facilities far too frequently operate with a profit margin in mind as opposed to a governmental facility.” The Department of Homeland Security, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, declined for three weeks to answer questions about the detention camp it oversees. After this story was published Thursday, the department’s spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, issued a statement that said “under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens.” She said the Fort Bliss facility “will offer everything a traditional ICE detention facility offers, including access to legal representation and a law library, access to visitation, recreational space, medical treatment space and nutritionally balanced meals.”

Politico [8/28/2025 8:56 PM, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, 14810K] reports Kilmar Abrego Garcia is asking a federal judge to order Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to stop publicly attacking him as his criminal trial on immigrant smuggling charges approaches. The request submitted Thursday to U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw in Nashville is the third time defense attorneys have complained that public statements from government officials are threatening Abrego’s right to a fair trial. It follows a torrent of invective in recent days from President Donald Trump, Noem, Bondi and other close Trump allies, who have leveled salacious allegations against Abrego that he fervently denies. “Further intervention from the Court is necessary to protect Mr. Abrego’s right to a fair trial and the integrity of these proceedings,” Abrego’s attorneys said. “The government’s ongoing barrage of prejudicial statements severely threaten — and perhaps have already irrevocably impaired — the ability to try this case at all — in any venue.” Abrego contends that the criminal case against him is a concoction aimed at punishing him for becoming a political headache for Trump and his advisers. Earlier this year, the administration illegally deported Abrego to El Salvador in defiance of a 2019 court order that found he could face violence from a local gang in his home country. Abrego’s legal challenge to the deportation led to a cascade of harsh court rulings against the administration, caused international furor and raised alarms about Trump’s mass deportation policies. But each ruling also provoked a defiant response from Trump and his White House aides who mounted increasingly strident attacks against Abrego in the months that followed. The administration brought Abrego back to the United States in June, two weeks after secretly obtaining a felony indictment against him for human smuggling in Tennessee. The latest motion takes aim at recent statements and disclosures — some in the wake of Abrego’s release from criminal custody on Friday and others after he was re-arrested by immigration officials on Monday. While the motion notes and objects to several public statements by Trump, it does not explicitly call on the judge to rein in Trump’s public comments. Abrego’s lawyers also pointed to a DHS post on X Monday that showed video of Abrego shortly after his arrest. “He doesn’t belong here. He won’t be staying here. America is a safer nation without this MS-13 Gangbanger in it. Good riddance,” the DHS account said.

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Breitbart [8/28/2025 12:03 PM, Jeff Poor, 2608K] reports Wednesday on FNC’s "Hannity," Trump border czar Tom Homan reiterated his intent to see alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia deported. Homan echoed a statement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued earlier in the day identifying Abrego Garcia as a "gang member, human trafficker, wife beater, child predator and criminal illegal alien.". "So, his lawyer is arguing that he can challenge, you know, his deportations on the right that he will be the person that is unsafe," host Sean Hannity said. "Is this the guy that you’ve identified as an MS-13 gang member? Is this the guy whose own wife accused him of being a wife-beater? Is this the guy that we’ve been told, apparently, was soliciting minors on the Internet and involved in other illegal activity? Is that the guy that that is saying that he’s going to be unsafe if he goes back to his home country? Isn’t he unsafe to all of us if he stays?". Homan replied, "He’s a significant public safety threat. You got it right. He’s a gang member, designated terrorist, and he’s been ordered removed by two different federal judges. He’s been indicted for human trafficking and alien smuggling. He’s a bad man. And I’m telling you, listen, I’m giving you my word. He will be deported from this country. I got my teeth in this thing, I’m not letting it go.". "As far as the story now, he’s going to claim asylum — first of all, he’s beyond the required one year," he continued. "He’s been here longer than that. So, he shouldn’t be able to qualify for asylum. If the judge rules on the law, the law is about asylum seeking, because you got to be escaping fear and persecution from your home government because of race, religion, and political affiliation. Well, he’s not going to his home country, right? So, he’s going to either Uganda or any other country we decide to send him to. What is the evidence that he can present that he’s going to be persecuted because of his race, religion, and political affiliation?".

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 11:53 AM, Nicole Silverio, 985K] reports Border czar Tom Homan eviscerated Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday for lacking the "integrity" to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) efforts to keep his state safe. During a summit held by Politico, Newsom accused ICE on Wednesday of being a "private police force" that is showing its allegiance to President Donald Trump over the U.S. Constitution. Homan told "America’s Newsroom" that the California governor is an "embarrassment" and vowed to continue his crackdown on illegal immigrants with heinous criminal records. "It’s disgusting. He’s an embarrassment to the position he holds," Homan said. "If he had an ounce of integrity, if [Democrat Los Angeles Mayor] Karen Bass had an ounce of integrity, they’d be thanking President Trump for making California safe again. You just listed all the bad people we’ve taken off streets. We’re gonna be there today, we’re gonna be there tomorrow, we’re not going anywhere. President Trump made a promise to the American people that we’re gonna make this country safe again, and that includes L.A., that includes California." ICE has made about 200,000 arrests and deported about 350,000 illegal immigrant criminals since Trump took office in January, Homan said. The border czar stated that Newsom can "just sit back and watch" as ICE agents make his state safer. "Governor Newsom can just sit back and watch us make his state safe again because they’ve done nothing, we’ll do it for them," Homan continued. U.S. Border Patrol and ICE have made 5,000 arrests in Los Angeles since the beginning of its operation in June, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported on Tuesday. The agents arrested gang members, child predators, murderers and other heinous illegal immigrant criminals off of California’s streets.

FOX News [8/28/2025 11:11 PM, Staff, 40019K] reports Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem talks about President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, FEMA and more on ‘The Guy Benson Show.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News Radio [8/28/2025 3:50 PM, Staff] Audio HERE reports Department of Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem joined the Guy Benson Show today to discuss a bevy of topics on the news of the day. Sec. Noem first reacted to D.C. Mayor Bowser’s apparent change in attitude as she reflected positively on the increased police and military presence in the district that has lead to a sharp decrease in crime. Sec. Noem also reacted to other blue state politicians and their respective responses to violent crime in their cities, and she also detailed a new “task force” that she is sending to Chicago. Sec Noem also discussed Kilmar Abrego Garcia, her response to complaints from FEMA, and MORE! [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

NewsMax [8/28/2025 8:27 PM, Michael Katz, 4779K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday criticized the inefficiency of federal disaster relief for the past 15 to 20 years, advocating reforms to prioritize immediate federal support and empower states to lead long-term recovery efforts. Noem emphasized at a meeting of the FEMA Review Council the need to reduce bureaucratic delays to support states with resources such as search and rescue and emergency aid, The Hill reported. "One of the things I’d like to charge your [council] with is: How long should a disaster be left open?" Noem said. "How quickly should we deploy resources, and then how long can cases continue to be filed? "That is one of the things that makes it difficult to deploy immediately … when the termination date for a disaster goes on 15 to 20 years after the event has already occurred.” Noem and President Donald Trump had advocated shutting FEMA down, but Trump appeared to backtrack on such talk in July after the devastating floods in Kerr County, Texas. "We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level," Trump told reporters at a briefing in the Oval Office. "The president believes that we should be in a disaster response portfolio and footprint, but the long-term mitigation should not be something that the federal government is continuing to be involved in to the extent that it has been in the past," Noem told the review council.

New York Post [8/28/2025 5:48 PM, Jennie Taer, 43962K] reports President Trump’s takeover of Washington, DC, has led to ICE agents picking up child sex offenders, a Tren de Aragua gangbangers and numerous other criminals who were previously free on the streets of the nation’s capital, The Post has learned. In the last 14 days, total crime dropped 11% citywide, with sharp reductions across the board including robberies (-42%), assaults with a deadly weapon (-13%), carjacking (-85%), car theft (-24%), violent crime (-25%) and property crime (-10%), the DC Police Union said in an X post Monday. The city’s Democratic mayor acknowledged the results on Wednesday.

CNN [8/28/2025 1:10 PM, Max Rego, 23245K] reports the surge in federal law enforcement in Washington, DC, has "enhanced" the capacity of local police officers and led to fewer crimes, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said this week while adding that it had also contributed to a "break in trust" between police and residents. The mayor’s comments – which come nearly three weeks after President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the capital city’s police department – were criticized by local politicians, and the mayor added a day later that her "north star" is protecting the city’s autonomy. "Since the beginning of this federal surge of officers, it has always been my focus on – we didn’t ask for any federal officers, we’re driving crime down – but while they’re here, how can we most strategically use them to accelerate the work that MPD has done?" Bowser said. Earlier, Bowser highlighted that the increase in federal law enforcement contributed to "an extreme reduction in carjackings" and a decrease in gun crimes and homicides. "We think that there’s more accountability in the system, or at least perceived accountability in the system, that is driving down illegal behavior," Bowser said at a press conference Wednesday. She continued, however, to criticize certain aspects of the administration’s law enforcement surge and police takeover, saying that it led to a "break in trust" between police and the community. Bowser added that states sending their National Guard members to DC – like six Republican-led states have done so far – has "not been an efficient use of those resources.". Experts have estimated, as CNN reported, that the ongoing National Guard deployment is costing roughly $1 million per day.

NBC News [8/28/2025 12:38 PM, Dareh Gregorian and Victoria Ebner, 43603K] reports that Members of the D.C. Council are pushing back against Mayor Muriel Bowser’s remarks that President Donald Trump’s surge of federal law enforcement personnel into the city has helped lower crime. "As I feared, our Mayor’s words are now being used to justify harmful federal overreach in cities nationwide. This is bigger than DC — or partisan politics. It’s about resisting creeping authoritarianism," Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker wrote on X, adding, "we must not legitimize an illegitimate agenda." In remarks Wednesday, Bowser said "this surge has been important to us" because it helped lower the rates of crimes like carjacking, but she also made clear that the presence of immigration agents and National Guard troops is “not working” and expressed hope that the initiative, which began on Aug. 7, would end soon. "She said she appreciates the federal surge and that it’s having positive results in D.C. That’s not the case," at-large Councilmember Robert White Jr., a Democrat, said in a video on X. “We should not, as the District of Columbia, be giving people the impression that this is a good thing, that we are OK with it, that it is helping the city. It is not doing any of those things, and it is not intended to help us,” White said. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement Wednesday that “crime is not a partisan issue.” “Americans expect elected officials to prioritize their safety over politics. President Trump’s bold action and partnership with local law enforcement has quickly minimized violent crime and removed over a thousand criminals from the streets of our nation’s capital,” she said. “Other Democrat leaders who are criticizing President Trump for cleaning up D.C. should take notes on the tremendous success that Washington, D.C., has already experienced under President Trump’s leadership.”

Reuters [8/28/2025 6:15 PM, Sarah N. Lynch and Andrew Goudsward, 45746K] reports federal prosecutors on Thursday dropped their effort to bring a felony charge against a man who was arrested for throwing a sub sandwich at a federal law enforcement agent carrying out President Donald Trump’s crackdown on Washington, D.C., after a grand jury declined to indict him. Prosecutors charged former Justice Department employee Sean Dunn with a misdemeanor assault against a federal law enforcement officer. Misdemeanors are lesser charges than felonies and do not require grand jury approval. It marked the second time this week that a Washington, D.C., grand jury had rebuffed the Justice Department’s attempt to bring felony charges against people protesting Trump’s crackdown, following a separate case in which federal prosecutors three times failed to persuade a grand jury to indict a woman on charges of assaulting an FBI agent whose hand was injured while trying to subdue her. It is rare for a grand jury to reject a request for an indictment, given that the legal standard is lower than to secure a conviction at trial, and prosecutors alone control the presentation of evidence. Attorney General Pam Bondi fired Dunn, who worked on international affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, after he was caught on camera throwing a sub sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent on August 10 in a bustling Washington neighborhood.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [8/28/2025 6:34 PM, Alexander Mallin, 27036K]
NBC News [8/28/2025 7:17 PM, Gary Grumbach and Nnamdi Egwuonwu, 43603K]
CNN [8/28/2025 6:56 PM, Holmes Lybrand, 662K]

Politico [8/28/2025 4:11 PM, Blake Jones, 2100K] reports Gavin Newsom announced Thursday he’s sending new teams of state police to major California cities —contrasting the effort with Donald Trump’s unilateral deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles and Washington. The California Highway Patrol troopers will target crimes like auto theft and drug dealing in Los Angeles, San Diego, inland regions and the San Francisco Bay Area. Trump recently threatened to send Guard members to San Francisco, saying he would “clean up” the city. Newsom insisted he was “not reacting and responding to anything” relating to Trump and emphasized the state’s deployment, unlike the president’s, was not being done over the objections of local governments. “As it relates to the president in particular, he’s doing things to people, not with people, and it’s a point of profound, consequential contrast. He’s de facto militarizing American cities,” Newsom told reporters. The announcement is Newsom’s latest attempt to take the lead in offering a competing Democratic vision of governance to Republican Washington ahead of a likely 2028 presidential run. The governor has laced into the Trump administration for its law enforcement tactics, on Wednesday telling POLITICO that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents work as the president’s “private police force.” White House border czar Tom Homan said the governor was an “embarrassment” in response. “If he had an ounce of integrity he’d be calling President Trump and thanking him for making LA safer,” Homan said.

New York Times [8/28/2025 4:41 PM, Reid J. Epstein, 143795K] reports a group of 19 Democratic governors on Thursday condemned President Trump’s threat to send National Guard troops into major cities like Chicago, Baltimore and New York as an “alarming abuse of power.” It is rare for such a large group of governors to collaborate on a joint statement, but Mr. Trump’s extraordinary push to override their authority and militarize cities in Democratic-run states has prompted an unusually united response. Blue state governors have been vocally pushing back on the idea that Mr. Trump could deploy troops into other cities as easily as he has done Washington, where he has cited a number of false or misleading crime statistics to justify taking over policing in the nation’s capital.

AP [8/28/2025 6:00 PM, Matthew Lee, 37974K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Mexico and Ecuador next week, making his fourth foreign trip in the Western Hemisphere since becoming President Donald Trump’s top diplomat in January. Rubio, who has already traveled to Latin America and the Caribbean twice and to Canada this year, will return to the region to discuss Trump administration priorities, including stemming illegal migration, combating organized crime and drug cartels, and countering what the U.S. believes is malign Chinese behavior in its backyard. Rubio’s “fourth trip to our hemisphere demonstrates the United States’ unwavering commitment to protect its borders, neutralize narco-terrorist threats to our homeland, and ensure a level playing field for American businesses,” the State Department said Thursday. Rubio’s first foreign trip as secretary of state was to Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, during which he assailed Chinese influence over the Panama Canal and sealed deals with the others to accept immigrant deportees from the United States. The agreement with El Salvador, which could include deporting U.S. citizens, is still being contested in federal courts.

Reuters [8/28/2025 12:20 PM, Staff, 45746K] reports Rwanda received seven migrants deported from the United States earlier this month, a government spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday, weeks after the two countries reached an agreement for the transfer of up to 250 people. "The first group of seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August," Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said in a statement. "Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda. Regardless of their specific needs, all of these individuals will receive appropriate support and protection from the Rwandan government.". U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a hardline approach toward immigration, aiming to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally and seeking to ramp up removals to third countries. A U.S. State Department spokesperson on Thursday referred questions on the deportations earlier this month to the government of Rwanda and declined to comment on details of diplomatic communications with other governments. "Implementing the Trump Administration’s immigration policies is a top priority for the Department of State. As Secretary Rubio has said, we remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass migration and bolster America’s border security," the spokesperson said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reported similarly:
AP [8/28/2025 2:23 PM, Gerald Imray, 37974K]

AP [8/28/2025 2:23 PM, Gerald Imray, 37974K] reports Rwanda has become the third African nation to receive deportees from the United States as the Trump administration expands its program to send migrants to countries they have no ties with. A Rwandan government spokesperson said Thursday that seven deportees arrived in the East African country earlier this month. No announcement was made at the time. Rwanda did say in early August that it had agreed to take up to 250 deportees but declined then to say when the first would arrive. Two other African nations, South Sudan and Eswatini, have already accepted a small number of deportees from the U.S. in what have also been secretive deals, while Uganda said last week it has an agreement in principle to take deportees. Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said the seven deportees are being visited by representatives from the United Nations’ migration agency and Rwandan social services. Three of them want to return to their home countries while the other four “wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda,” she said. The Rwandan government didn’t say where the deportees are being held. Uganda, which borders Rwanda, said it would accept deportees from the U.S. as long as they don’t have criminal records or are unaccompanied minors. The U.S. has said it wants to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has become a flashpoint in U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, to Uganda. The U.S. sent eight men from South Sudan, Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar and Vietnam to South Sudan in July after their deportations were held up by a legal challenge. That led to them being kept for weeks in a converted shipping container at an American military base in nearby Djibouti. U.S. officials said the men had been convicted of violent crimes in the U.S. Two weeks after the South Sudan deportations, the U.S. announced that it had sent five other men — citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos — to the small kingdom of Eswatini, in southern Africa. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security described them as violent criminals whose home countries had refused to take them back. Eswatini’s government said the men would be held in solitary confinement until their repatriation, and later said that might take up to a year.

Reuters [8/28/2025 7:55 PM, Idrees Ali, 45746K] reports that tensions between the United States and Venezuela are rising amid a large U.S. naval buildup in the Southern Caribbean and nearby waters, which U.S. officials say aims to address threats from Latin American drug cartels. U.S. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on drug cartels a central goal of his administration, part of a wider effort to limit migration and secure the U.S. southern border. While U.S. Coast Guard and Navy ships regularly operate in the Southern Caribbean, this buildup is significantly larger than usual deployments in the region. A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that seven U.S. warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, were either in the region or were expected to be there in the coming week. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denounced the moves. On Wednesday, he said Venezuela was being "threatened" by nuclear submarines in violation of international treaties. It is unclear what exactly their mission will be, but the Trump administration has said it can now use the military to go after drug cartels and criminal groups and has directed the Pentagon to prepare options. On Thursday, the White House said Trump was ready to use "every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country." "Many Caribbean nations and many nations in the region have applauded the administration’s counter drug operations and efforts," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

AP [8/29/2025 12:04 AM, Regina Garcia Cano and Konstantin Toropin, 37974K] reports the United States is boosting its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels with the expected arrival of more vessels next week, an action that will undoubtedly fuel more speculation among Venezuelans, their government and its political opposition. The U.S. government has not signaled any planned land incursion from the more than 4,000 personnel being deployed to the area, and analysts and current and former government officials see no possibility of an invasion in Venezuela. Still, the deployment has dominated conversations in the streets and at dinner tables in Venezuela, where an alleged threat of invasion is spilling over from social media and state television. The government has capitalized on the speculation by appealing to people, primarily its diminishing base, to enlist in a beleaguered militia, while the opposition is once again characterizing U.S. actions as a sign of President Nicolás Maduro’s rule nearing an end. Following confirmation last week of three U.S. Aegis guided-missile destroyers being deployed, that military presence is now likely to expand. Three amphibious assault ships — a force that encompasses more than 4,000 sailors and Marines — would be entering the waters off Latin America by next week, according to a defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.

NewsNation [8/29/2025 3:46 AM, Salvador Rivera, 6811K] reports that, earlier this week, the co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada pleaded guilty to 24 drug-related charges in a New York City courtroom while agreeing to serve a life sentence and paying a $15 billion forfeiture money judgment. That means that in case he can’t pay the full amount, he agrees to forfeit any property that he owns until the amount is settled. During her daily news conference on Wednesday, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters that Mexico is entitled to "its share" if the U.S. goes after Zambada’s fortune. She says Mexico deserves a portion of Zambada’s wealth since his drug dealings have negatively impacted her country. "If there is a seizure of assets, obviously, we will be asking for damages," said Sheinbaum. "It will be spread among the public, the most humble in our country will get it.” While in court Monday, Zambada spoke about starting his life of crime at the age of 19 when he planted his first marijuana plant. He also admitted to transporting 500 tons of cocaine to the United States, earning hundreds of millions of dollars every year. And Zambada admitted to ordering the assassinations of his rivals and said "many innocent people died as well.” During his court appearance, Zambada claimed to have bribed countless police officers, military officials and politicians in Mexico, something President Sheinbaum did not address.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [8/28/2025 6:42 AM, Staff, 45245K] Video: HERE

NBC News [8/28/2025 3:49 PM, Suzanne Gamboa, 43603K] reports the Trump administration has taken another step in exerting more control over immigration courts by relaxing qualifications for the hiring of judges. On Thursday, the administration implemented a rule that allows the Justice Department to hire attorneys without immigration law experience to serve as temporary immigration judges. "This rule will enable the Director, with the approval of the Attorney General, to staff the immigration courts with a sufficient number of well-trained and highly qualified judges to further reduce and ultimately eliminate the backlog of pending cases," according to the new rule. Immigration judges are part of the executive branch, not the independent judicial branch of the U.S. government. Before the change, temporary immigration judges (TIJs) were required to have been immigration judges or other types of government judges and attorneys from other executive branches, or to have at least 10 years of legal experience in the field of immigration law. According to the notice published in the Federal Register, "the Department believes that the removal of categorical regulatory prohibitions is prudent to ensure that the Director and Attorney General may consider highly qualified candidates for TIJ appointments.". The rule change is needed, the administration has said, to address a large backlog of immigration cases. The new rule follows the firings or layoffs of judges — since President Donald Trump took office, about 100 immigration judges have been fired or forced to resign. This has significantly reduced the number of judges, which stood at around 650, according to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union that represents immigration judges. About 3.7 million immigration cases are caught up in the backlog. Critics of the new rule say it’s the administration’s way of seating judges who will carry out Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 4:53 PM, Emily Kopp, 985K] reports the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to continue creating novel pandemic viruses in apparent defiance of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump calling for a crackdown on the research, according to three government sources involved with the process, who were granted anonymity to avoid government reprisals. Biosafety hawks have been duking it out with officials at the NIH, the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security as an interagency group finalizes Trump’s policy on dangerous gain-of-function (GOF) research — which makes viruses more deadly in the lab. Per the executive order, the policy on federal GOF research is due Sept. 2. Three intelligence agencies have concluded that a lab accident sparked COVID-19.

New York Times [8/28/2025 9:26 AM, Sam Roberts, 153395K] reports John Gast’s allegorical painting, “American Progress,” may have had humble origins, but his flamboyant tableau of Manifest Destiny had real impact in spurring the country’s westward expansion in the late 19th century. Its symbolism still resonates more than 150 years since it was painted. Earlier this summer, the Department of Homeland Security posted an image of the painting on social media under the heading, “A Heritage to be proud of, a Homeland worth Defending.” It drew some 37,000 likes on X. To the Trump administration, the painting epitomizes patriotism and the progress spread by American pioneers advancing technology, democracy and the blessings of Western civilization. Some historians, however, say, that D.H.S.’s battle cry, in the context of the painting, glorifies racism and glosses over just whose homeland America is.

Houston Chronicle [8/28/2025 7:00 AM, Staff, 2356K] reports Houstonians know what an unprepared FEMA looks like. It looks like Hurricane Katrina. Like a city left behind. Like death. Twenty years ago, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been tucked into a new Department of Homeland Security, it found itself "unprepared, under-resourced, and poorly integrated with other agencies," according to former FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell. The dysfunction was obvious. "Some in top leadership had no emergency management experience. Political affiliations, not qualifications, shaped appointments. Bureaucracy slowed life-saving action. People died," Criswell wrote in July. The disastrous handling of an already deadly disaster prompted Congress to clean up FEMA’s act, including requiring that the FEMA administrator "have real, on-the-ground emergency management experience," as Criswell put it. Now, under President Donald Trump, the federal government is on the verge of failing Americans who encounter the next Katrina. That was the warning sent Monday by some 180 current and former FEMA employees who signed onto an alarming letter. Our delegation in Congress needs to heed this warning. This means putting aside partisan loyalties in order to ensure FEMA is ready to respond as Houston enters peak hurricane season. Texans have already seen some of the impact following fatal flash flooding in the Hill Country in July. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s onerous cost controls slowed down swift aid, according to multiple outlets, triggering the resignation of a key FEMA disaster coordination leader. And we still don’t have a full investigation into what else might have gone wrong in the response. In apparent retaliation for the letter sent to Congress this week, some staffers have already been put on leave, including some who are involved in the flood recovery efforts in Texas. The administration defended these moves by claiming they’re just cutting red tape and improving efficiency. If that were the case, we might cheer these changes. Even after the reforms prompted by Katrina there was still plenty of room for positive change at the agency. That’s not what we’ve seen so far. And Houstonians should worry what else we’ll see if FEMA remains unprepared for the next big flood

Wall Street Journal [8/28/2025 5:03 PM, Sierra Dawn McClain, 646K] reports Blaine Smith advertises every year for workers to pick apples, pears and cherries on his farm in Wenatchee, Wash., three hours east of Seattle. And every year the response is the same: Few U.S. citizens or permanent residents apply, though Mr. Smith pays well above the state’s minimum wage. He isn’t alone. Americans aren’t lining up to do strenuous farm jobs, and agricultural employers are struggling to find workers. In 2022 a Washington state agency advertised more than 34,000 farm job openings but could place only 11 U.S.-based workers in the roles. That’s up from zero in 2021. The agency placed two in 2020 and 19 in 2019. Mr. Smith estimates that if his crops weren’t picked in a particular year, he would lose $2 million, the amount he spends annually to grow the fruit. A loss of that magnitude would devastate his business, which operates on narrow margins. In recent years he has turned to imported labor to fill the gaps. He uses the H-2A guest-worker visa program, which brings foreign laborers into the U.S. legally and temporarily to work on farms. The program, however, is costly and onerous for farmers because of its complex requirements and paperwork. “It’s not sustainable with all the overregulation and red tape,” Mr. Smith says. The Biden administration added more than 3,000 pages of regulations to the H-2A program, according to Enrique Gastelum of the Worker and Farmer Labor Association, an organization of agricultural employers. Congress and the Trump administration could make the program more user-friendly through legislation and regulatory reform. The administration has already taken a step in the right direction. The Labor Department recently suspended enforcement of a Biden-era rule that guaranteed labor organizers access to farms and gave union rights to foreign farmworkers. The rule dodged the National Labor Relations Act, which exempted farmworkers from certain labor activities because Congress didn’t want them to go on strike, leaving crops to rot during harvest. The rule got tangled up in courts, and the Trump administration brought clarity by shelving it. The administration could build on this success by reviewing the remaining Biden regulations.

New York Times [8/28/2025 5:30 AM, Andrea R. Flores, 153395K] reports I was sitting on a restaurant patio on Capitol Hill with a friend last Monday when a motorist was pulled over by local police officers right in front of us. Within minutes, unmarked cars and federal agents — some wearing vests marked with the initials of Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — surrounded his vehicle. Once outside the car, he was placed in handcuffs. He was released after several concerned diners approached the agents. A few days before that, I stepped outside to walk my dog and was surprised to see Homeland Security Investigations agents patrolling my block. By the time I got back to my apartment, they had surrounded a young woman in front of my building. She was not resisting arrest. The agents placed her in hand and leg cuffs bound together by chains. My neighbors and I watched as they whisked her away in an unmarked vehicle. I don’t know who these people were or why they were targeted. But I’ve lived in Washington for over a decade, and I have never seen anything as chaotic as this on our streets. Most federal agents — like the ones I saw from H.S.I. and A.T.F. — do not normally conduct immigration checks or pull over drivers for traffic violations. Their job is to dismantle drug cartels, arrest arms traffickers and combat child exploitation and human trafficking rings in the United States. President Trump said the takeover of policing and the deployment of National Guard members here were needed to restore law and order. Then Pam Bondi, the attorney general, pointed to district officials’ unwillingness to cooperate with immigration officials. The administration has threatened to deploy federal agents to other cities, where the White House has amplified concerns about crime, criticized sanctuary policies and challenged political opposition. On Monday the president issued an executive order to create specially trained National Guard units that could be deployed in all 50 states in the name of public safety. These increasingly muddled objectives point to a broader agenda: The president may be using Washington as a testing ground for expanding federal control over local law enforcement nationwide. Once that infrastructure is in place, little would prevent it from being turned against civilians.

The Hill [8/28/2025 11:00 AM, Stephen Yale-Loehr, 12414K] reports when President Trump signed an executive order in January attempting to end birthright citizenship, critics quickly pounced, criticizing the action on both legal and moral grounds. But lost in the punditry is a glaring question: What happens if this actually takes effect? The answer: chaos. State health departments and the Social Security Administration would be thrust into the role of immigration enforcers. Birth certificates — currently automatic and routine — would become complex adjudications. And hundreds of thousands of babies born on American soil each year could be left in limbo.

Blaze [8/29/2025 4:20 AM, Mike Howell, 1600K] reports the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t deported nearly enough illegal aliens to justify the massive distraction and cost of providing security for the 2026 World Cup. In Secretary Kristi Noem’s own words, “the 2026 FIFA World Cup is anticipated to be the largest, most complex sporting event in the world — equivalent to a dozen Super Bowls over a single summer.” Congress already allocated $625 million for World Cup security in Democrat-run cities, many of which fight Trump’s immigration agenda at every turn — including his effort to make those cities safer. That sum doesn’t even touch the other operational costs the administration will pick up, diverting substantial law enforcement bandwidth away from deportations. Why shower these hostile jurisdictions with taxpayer dollars to celebrate a recreational export from the third world? It makes no sense. The DHS fills its feeds with memes invoking legacy America, then turns its focus from mass deportations to futbol. Add to that the wave of tourist visas that will be handed out to international fans, swelling an already absurd total of 55 million visa-holders inside the United States.

Los Angeles Times [8/28/2025 9:38 AM, Brandan P. Buck, 12715K] reports the Trump administration reportedly directed the Department of Defense recently to begin to use military force against a slew of drug cartels in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America. As a number of national security scholars and subject matter experts have argued, further militarization, particularly unilaterally, will not win the war on drugs. The White House should consider staying the course on its current diplomatic efforts while exploring demand-side options for curtailing the fentanyl crisis. Despite their overheated rhetoric, President Trump and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum have worked to resume cooperation on combating drug smuggling and cartel violence. The Mexican government has extradited two waves of incarcerated cartel associates to the United States, first in February and then again in August. Additionally, Sheinbaum previously ordered Mexican National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and is collaborating with the U.S. on drone surveillance. Finally, the U.S. Army Special Forces 7th Group has resumed its train-and-assist mission with the Mexican Marines. These initiatives, compared with the prospect of unilateral military force, come at considerably less diplomatic cost. If the White House wants to remain proactive on the cartel issue within Latin America, working through the Mexican government, however imperfect a solution, remains the best of many bad options.

Los Angeles Times [8/28/2025 2:13 PM, Andrew J. Campa, 12715K] reports that President Trump’s border advisor told reporters Thursday that federal authorities planned to increase immigration raids in Los Angeles and other so-called "sanctuary cities," with Chicago likely the next target. "You’re going to see a ramp up of operations in New York; you’re going to see a ramp up of operations continue in L.A., Portland, Seattle, all these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE," Tom Homan said. Since June, Southern California has been ground zero of thousands of immigration arrests as well as legal battles over whether the raids violate the U.S. Constitution. There is no agreed-upon definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Homan did not elaborate on specifics about new raids in L.A. But talking to reporters Thursday morning, he said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering using a naval base north of Chicago as its hub when potential enforcement raids take place in that city. Tom Homan said, "there’s discussions about that, yes," when asked by reporters outside the White House. He didn’t provide an exact timeline for the use. "The planning is still being discussed," he said. "So, maybe by the end of today." Homan would not commit to how many soldiers and agents would be used in any immigration enforcement. "We’re not going to tell you how many resources we’re going to send to the city," he said. "We don’t want the bad guys to know what we’re sending.".

Univision [8/28/2025 4:12 PM, Staff, 4932K] reports the Donald Trump administration plans to ramp up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in major Democratic-run U.S. cities after Labor Day, border czar Tom Homan said Thursday. Homan told reporters Thursday that there will be a "surge" of operations in "sanctuary cities" that "refuse to work with ICE" and that he will also send a "large contingent" to Chicago. Homan did not say how many soldiers and agents would be used in these operations. Regarding reports that federal officials are considering using a naval base as an operations center in Chicago, Homan said that "planning is still being discussed." Earlier this week, Trump said Chicago would likely be the next city he would target in a crackdown on crime, and particularly undocumented immigration. Chicago’s top leaders are planning for the possibility of a military deployment in the nation’s third-largest city, even though they don’t know what to expect. Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker have opposed a possible mobilization, arguing that crime has decreased in Chicago and that the city neither wants nor needs military assistance. They plan to file a lawsuit.

Politico [8/28/2025 3:51 PM, Nicole Markus, 2100K] reports White House border czar Tom Homan bashed California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, after the high-profile Democrat said Immigration and Customs Enforcement acted as President Donald Trump’s “private police force.” “Newsom is an embarrassment to the position he holds. Hard stop,” Homan told reporters. “If he had an ounce of integrity he’d be calling President Trump and thanking him for making LA safer. He’d be calling the head of ICE and thanking them for the thousands of criminals, public safety threats they’ve taken off the streets of California.” Newsom’s comments during a POLITICO summit were the latest in a series of attacks he has levied recently against the president. “When they’re done with this — all that funding and that ‘big beautiful betrayal’ allows more resources for this private police force that increasingly is showing a tendency not to swear an oath to the Constitution, but to the president of the United States,” Newsom said.

Washington Examiner [8/28/2025 11:17 AM, Naomi Lim, 1563K] reports Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s "border czar," has hit back at District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser after she criticized masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents operating in the district. "They’re extremely effective," Homan told the Washington Examiner on Thursday at the White House. "I mean, look at the crime rate in D.C. It’s not based on data. It must be based on her skewed opinion because I see the numbers every day. They’re doing a great job. D.C is much safer today. If she had an ounce of integrity, she’d be thanking President Trump for making D.C. safer." When pressed, Homan underscored that every ICE agent wears "insignia" before conceding that he did not "particularly like masks." "But the ICE officers need the mask because their families are being doxed," he said. "Believe me, I know because I’m a victim of it. Their families are being doxed, their children are being doxed, their families have been put in harm’s way. But no one’s asked the question, why didn’t they get all these legislators out there [who] want to pass laws that prevent ICE wearing masks? Meanwhile, I don’t see any legislation [about] antifa unmasking or people [who] do these violent counter protests." Homan reiterated that ICE agents "are doing what they got to do to make this country safe again," and because of that, he supported their wearing masks.

The Hill [8/28/2025 12:39 PM, Filip Timotija, 12414K] reports President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Thursday that he is not a fan of masks, but argued federal immigration officials need them during raids since they and their families are being doxed. "I don’t particularly like masks, but the ICE officers need the mask because their families are being doxed. Believe me, I know, because I’m a victim of it. Their families are being doxed, their children are being doxed, their families have been put in harm’s way," Homan told reporters at the White House on Thursday. "But no one’s asked the question — why didn’t they get all these legislators out there [who] want to pass laws that prevent ICE wearing masks? Meanwhile, I don’t see any legislation [about] antifa unmasking or people [who] do these violent counterprotests," Homan added. Democratic lawmakers and activists have gone after ICE, with some of them saying law enforcement wearing masks is part of an attempt to sow fear in communities and help agents evade accountability. The administration has rejected the premise, arguing the masks are necessary to ensure the safety of the officials. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) slammed masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for operating in the nation’s capital Wednesday, criticism that came as President Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deployed National Guard troops, part of an effort to crack down on crime in the city. "We know having masked ICE agents in the community has not worked, and National Guards from other states has not been an efficient use of those resources," Bowser said during the press conference. Homan hit back at Bowser on Thursday, arguing the immigration authorities have been "extremely effective.".

FOX News [8/28/2025 2:56 PM, Cameron Arcand, 40019K] reports a Florida crash that killed three people sparked an ultimatum from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over states’ commercial driver licensing rules. But two out of the three states named by the secretary say they’re in compliance. Duffy’s push came after an illegal immigrant from India, Harjinder Singh, allegedly struck and killed three people in a tractor-trailer while making an illegal U-turn on a Florida turnpike on Aug. 12. Singh’s current commercial driver’s license was issued in California; he previously had one in Washington state, and Duffy said there was a traffic stop in New Mexico where his rig was not taken "out of service.". Duffy is giving the states 30 days to follow the law, or risk losing federal funding through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. "We are not going to tolerate states that don’t comply with the rules that come from this department," Duffy said at a press conference on Tuesday. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office maintains that they were following federal law when Singh’s license was doled out and placed the blame on the Trump administration. "This is rich. The Trump administration approved the federal work permit for the man who killed 3 people — and now they’re scrambling to shift blame after getting caught. Sean’s nonsense announcement is as big a joke as the Trump Administration itself. SAD!" a spokesperson for Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin previously disputed Newsom’s timeline that says he was given a work permit under Trump. "False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021," McLaughlin said on Aug. 18 in response to Newsom’s press office’s X account.

Washington Examiner [8/29/2025 5:00 AM, Mabinty Quarshie, 1563K] reports Democrats are channeling grassroots anger at Immigration and Customs Enforcement with a series of condemnations that stop short of the calls to “abolish ICE” that defined the early anti-Trump resistance. At their summer gathering in Minnesota this week, members of the Democratic National Committee signaled the strategy they will take to oppose Trump’s immigration agenda — denouncing the administration’s deportation tactics while steering clear of the Left’s desire to dismantle the agency Republicans have expanded with their megabill. The idea of abolishing ICE gained currency in the first Trump White House, when his enforcement priorities became one pillar of what galvanized the Left against his administration. Democratic leaders flirted with the movement by supporting ICE’s dismantlement or calling for its restructuring. But the calls lost currency as Republicans branded Democrats as beholden to the fringe of their party. The decades-high inflow of illegal immigrants under President Joe Biden sparked another step to the right as Democrats sought to distance themselves from the influx. There are still Democrats who want to see ICE, responsible for removing illegal immigrants from the interior of the country, disbanded, including attendees at the Minneapolis summer meeting.

The Hill [8/28/2025 1:00 PM, Mohamed Saadouni, 12414K] reports that in a recent case that underscores the flaws in the U.S. immigration and vetting system, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an undocumented immigrant who was serving as a police officer in Maine, despite having unlawfully entered the country multiple times. According to an ICE press release, Jon Luke Evans was not only working in law enforcement but had previously been deported and reentered the country illegally. This disturbing incident raises serious questions about internal screening procedures and the effectiveness of local-federal cooperation on immigration enforcement. In a country known for its strict law enforcement — especially concerning immigration and residency — the incident is shocking. Investigations revealed that Evans, a native of Jamaica, had entered the U.S. with a valid visa but had overstayed it. Despite this, he passed all vetting processes and was hired as a police officer, even receiving a service weapon. How could such a breach occur within a law enforcement agency? And who bears responsibility for this lapse in oversight that threatens public trust? This is not merely a bureaucratic error — it points to a systemic failure in coordination between local and federal authorities, particularly when verifying the legal status of candidates for sensitive positions. While states insist on their right to set their own employment criteria, federal law is clear that people in the country illegally are prohibited from serving in public office or bearing arms.

New York Post [8/28/2025 6:37 PM, Brandon Cruz, 43962K] reports a violent migrant pimp was convicted of forcing a Long Island sex worker into sleazy hotel rendezvouses by beating her up and plying her with crack and heroin. Barbados citizen Michael Howell, 65, advertised the unidentified woman’s services online from April 2023 through February 2024 and then pocketed all the cash from the meetups in Suffolk and Nassau counties, authorities said. "Michael Howell preyed upon his victim by using crack, heroin and violence to maintain control over her in order to profit from her exploitation," Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said after the pimp was found guilty Tuesday in Suffolk County Supreme Court. Howell, who lived in Brooklyn, would become violent when the woman resisted — and he once slammed her head into a wall, prosecutors said. The pimp was arrested on Feb. 1, 2024 with fentanyl and a large amount of cocaine on him. He is due back in court for sentencing on Sept. 26 and is facing 25 years behind bars and eventual deportation. Federal immigration officials have already lodged a detainer to deport him back to Barbados after his release.

Breitbart [8/28/2025 5:54 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2608K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ramped up the rate of arrests of illegal migrants in Pittsburgh to triple that of the Biden administration. The Trump administration has taken about 580 illegals into custody in Pittsburgh so far this year compared with only 210 in the same time frame during Joe Biden’s final year in office, according to Axios. The numbers were calculated by a non-governmental group called Deportation Data Project which seeks to lend support to organizations that work to aid illegal immigration. However, outside the Pittsburgh police, eight other agencies in the region have signed ICE’s 287(g) agreements and have been working with the agency on immigration enforcement, Axios said in a separate report. Sources including Pew and the Center for Migration Studies estimate the population of illegal aliens in Pennsylvania to have risen to about 300,000.

Axios [8/28/2025 9:20 AM, Chrissy Suttles and Ryan Deto, 14595K] reports ICE arrests in Southwestern Pennsylvania have nearly tripled under President Trump, per federal data obtained by the Deportation Data Project and reviewed by Axios Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh hasn’t been an immigrant hot spot in over a century — and still isn’t — but the region is still feeling the effects of a national crackdown on immigrant communities. From Trump’s inauguration in January through July, ICE made at least 580 arrests in about a 70-mile radius of Pittsburgh — nearly three times as many as the roughly 210 in the same period a year earlier, federal data shows. Over half of those arrests involved people with no prior criminal record, per the analysis. The numbers mark a sharp shift following the Trump administration’s decision to triple ICE’s arrest quota earlier this year.

Washington Blade [8/28/2025 11:11 AM, Michael K. Lavers, 132K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday said it plans to deport a transgender Brazilian woman who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested in Silver Spring. A video posted to Instagram shows three plain-clothed ICE agents removing Alice Correia Barbosa from her car on Aug. 23. One agent misgendered Correia before he and the two other agents placed her into an unmarked SUV. A senior DHS official in response to the Washington Blade’s request for comment about Correia’s arrest referred to her by her birth name and described her as an “illegal alien from Brazil” who “overstayed his visa by almost six years.” The official also used male pronouns to describe Correia. “He remained in the U.S. after his B-2 tourist visa that allowed him to remain in the U.S. for six months. Nearly six years later, he is still illegally in our country,” the official told the Blade. “Barbosa’s criminal history includes arrests possession of a controlled substance and marijuana possession. U.S. Border Patrol arrested Barbosa on Aug. 23, 2025, and he will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to restoring integrity to the visa program and ensuring it is not abused to allow aliens a permanent one-way ticket to remain in the U.S.” The Blade asked the official why they used Correia’s birth name to identify her and male pronouns to describe her. “Because he is a man,” said the official.

Univision [8/28/2025 10:32 PM, Staff, 4932K] reports Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara spoke out after a hearing Wednesday where a federal judge heard his bond case and gave him 7 days to receive more information. The reporter, who is in a detention center in Folkston, Georgia, after being detained while covering protests against ICE on June 14, gave details of his process and thoughts on his detention. "I had no illusions," he said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Telemundo 48 El Paso [8/28/2025 5:10 PM, Claudia Moreno, 6K] reports federal authorities have confirmed that people detained at the Alligator Alcatraz immigration center in Florida are being transferred to the Camp East Montana detention center in El Paso, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) El Paso confirmed that while there is no exact number of detainees who have arrived at Camp East Montana, it currently houses 1,173 people and has a maximum capacity of 1,872 detainees. If necessary, the center could receive more people until that limit is reached. In addition, it was reported that the center’s contractor will add 250 beds each week, with the goal of expanding capacity to 3,000 spaces, and even 5,000 if the situation requires it.

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 2:23 PM, Jason Hopkins, 985K] reports that the Trump administration has requested a military base near Chicago for assistance on upcoming federal immigration operations. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked Naval Station Great Lakes, a military installation roughly 35 miles north of Chicago, for limited logistical and infrastructure support to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, according to multiple media reports. The request follows a widespread federal immigration crackdown in Washington, D.C., and pledges by the Trump administration to expand to other cities. "President Trump has been clear: we are going to make our streets and cities safe again," a senior DHS official stated to the Daily Caller News Foundation when asked for confirmation on the request. "Across the country, DHS law enforcement are arresting and removing the worst of worst including gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists that have terrorized American communities." "Under Secretary Noem, ICE and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] are working overtime to deliver on the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again," the senior official continued. Specifically, DHS has requested Naval Station Great Lakes for "limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations," base spokesperson Matt Mogle stated, according to the Associated Press. Despite these prior public statements, Mogle referred the DCNF to DHS when asked on Thursday about the request.

CBS Chicago [8/28/2025 7:08 PM, Victor Jacobo, 45245K] Video: HERE reports Chicago’s Latino community is getting ready to celebrate their culture and heritage, with events starting next week. The 24th annual Mexican Independence Day Parade is set to step off on a week from Saturday on 18th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood. Organizers and community leaders are hopeful the celebration can be as strong as ever — despite concerns of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement showing up and the potential presence of federal troops. But inside Alvarez Hardware, 1323 W. 18th St., owner Rodolfo Alvarez said the community’s excitement ahead of the parade is paired with unease. "Our concern this year is that, like I said, that ICE might show up, that the National Guard is going to be here," said Alvarez, who is also president of the United Merchants of Pilsen Chamber of Commerce. Leaders from the chamber say they have contingency plans to make sure the parade can be celebrated in peace. "We’re just here to let people know that we are not going to be stopping from celebrating our roots, our heritage, our culture," said United Merchants of Pilsen Chamber of Commerce board member Vicky Lugo. The contingency plans include a team of volunteers monitoring the parade route. "If they see any immigration agents, we’re going to be communicating throughout," said Lugo.

Reported similarly:
Chicago Tribune [8/28/2025 6:46 PM, Rebecca Johnson, 5352K]

Chicago Tribune [8/28/2025 4:07 PM, Meredith Colias-Pete and Michelle L. Quinn, 5352K] reports a former School City of Hammond maintenance director has his initial trial date set for October. David Reyes, 58, was indicted earlier this month for production of a minor engaging in any sexually explicit conduct; distribution of child pornography; and possession or access with intent to view child pornography. The hearing Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Hammond, Indiana, before Magistrate John Martin was meant to provide information to see if he would be released on pretrial detention. However, the federal court’s pretrial services haven’t inspected his house. Once that is done, another hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Sept. 24. Reyes remains jailed. Federal authorities are asking people who believe that they or someone they know may have been victimized by Reyes or otherwise have information about the charges against him to contact Homeland Security Investigations by phone at 1-877-4-HSI-TIP. Hammond Police at around 7 a.m. Aug. 11 joined Department of Homeland Security officers to execute a search warrant at a home in the 400 block of Highland Street, according to a copy of the call the Post-Tribune received.

Axios [8/28/2025 10:02 AM, Russell Contreras, 14595K] reports that an estimated 140,000 unauthorized immigrants lived in Utah in 2023 — up from about 95,000 in 2016, according to a new Pew Research Center study. Why it matters: The report reflects how undocumented immigrant populations have grown in states outside their historic strongholds. By the numbers: Undocumented immigrants comprised about 4% of the state’s population in 2023, per the report released last week. The study had a 20,000-person margin of error in Utah. Zoom out: The number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. rose to a record 14 million in 2023, sparked by migration from countries other than Mexico, the analysis said. The big picture: The report also highlights the significant rise in unauthorized immigrants during President Biden’s first two years in office, fueling the backlash that helped Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Between the lines: The jump in undocumented immigrants between 2016 and 2023 comes as Utah assists with President Trump’s mass deportation efforts. The Utah National Guard was recently asked to provide volunteers to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations starting in mid-September, per Fox 13. Zoom out: California and Texas are among the six states where the majority of the nation’s record 14 million unauthorized immigrants live, though more are moving to other states. State of play: The U.S. unauthorized immigrant population is less concentrated than in the past, growing in 32 states from 2021 to 2023, Pew found.

Telemundo52 [8/28/2025 6:31 PM, Elizabeth Chavolla and Maria Paula Ochoa, 93K] reports several people were arrested after another immigration operation outside the Home Depot store in Westlake on Thursday morning, authorities confirmed. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), eight people were arrested after the operation here outside the workplace this morning. The detainees included six Guatemalans, a Salvadoran and one Mexican. Images captured by a surveillance camera show the moment border patrol officers arrive in a black van and stop in the middle of the street, just in front of the Westlake work centre. Meanwhile, dozens of day laborers run in fear seeking to flee the scene. Officers throw tear gas bombs and in one of the videos shots are heard, according to witnesses, they were rubber bullets. According to witnesses, today it was one of the most violent operations seen in this place, which has been the scene of at least four others in the past, said the director of the workplace.

Breitbart [8/28/2025 1:05 PM, John Binder, 2608K] reports that an illegal alien convicted sex offender and gang member has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he was found living inside a daycare for children in the sanctuary state of California. Ezequiel Cruz-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested by ICE agents this week after having been deported from the United States on three separate occasions dating back to the mid-1990s. According to ICE officials, Cruz-Rodriguez is a documented member of the Logan Heights gang and has an extensive criminal record, with convictions for sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, sexual battery, illegal possession of a firearm, robbery, and drunk driving. Cruz-Rodriguez was arrested by ICE agents after it was discovered that he was living with his wife, an illegal alien shielded from deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, inside an in-home daycare for children in San Diego, California. "It is sickening to think that this pedophile criminal illegal alien was residing inside the home where a daycare operates and hiding out in a sanctuary city," a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said in a statement: “Thanks to the brave work of our ICE law enforcement officers, this criminal illegal alien, convicted pedophile, and known Logan heights gang member — will no longer be able to prey on children inside a daycare. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, sickos like this will not walk free in the U.S.”

AP [8/28/2025 1:50 PM, Mikhail Zinshteyn, 20690K] reports that Cal Poly Pomona postponed its annual fall job fair this week after students, alumni and community members criticized its inclusion of Customs and Border Protection as an in-person recruiter, underscoring the heightened sensitivity about immigration agencies on college campuses this fall. The interim president of the Los Angeles County campus with nearly 28,000 students — the majority of whom are Latino — said leadership responded to the criticism and decided to rethink their approach to job fairs. "We have listened carefully and are leveraging this input to design career programming this fall that is more personal and better tailored to the evolving needs of our students and to workforce demands," said Iris S. Levine in a public letter Monday. "I want to thank those of you who reached out and shared your perspectives with honesty and passion," she added. Tracee Passeggi, the career center director at Cal Poly Pomona, said she received 200 to 250 emails between late Thursday and Monday protesting the presence of immigration law enforcement at the job fair. In the days leading up to the postponement, social media swirled with rumors that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be among the employers at the September job fair, something the campus said is not true in a Tuesday FAQ. More than 106,000 employers share job updates on the Cal Poly Pomona career portal called Handshake, a common software tool among college campuses. Both Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are in the system and receive updates about campus career events. But ICE has never taken part in a career fair, the FAQ said.

Los Angeles Times [8/28/2025 4:21 PM, Clara Harter, 12715K] reports Benjamin Guerrero-Cruz’s family was stunned and heartbroken when the 18-year-old was grabbed by immigration agents while walking his dog in Van Nuys just days before he was set to start his senior year at Reseda Charter High School. This week, his family was caught off-guard once again when they learned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had transferred him to Arizona without notifying any relatives, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood), which spoke to his family and reviewed ICE detention records. Guerrero-Cruz was moved out of the Adelanto Detention Facility in San Bernardino County late Monday night and taken to a holding facility in Arizona in the middle of the desert, according to the congresswoman’s office. On Tuesday night, he was scheduled to be transferred to Louisiana, a major hub for deportation flights, but at the last minute he was taken off the plane and sent back to Adelanto, where he is currently being held. "Benjamin and his family deserve answers behind ICE’s inconsistent and chaotic decision-making process, including why Benjamin was initially transferred to Arizona, why he was slated to be transferred to Louisiana afterward, and why his family wasn’t notified of his whereabouts by ICE throughout this process," Rivas said in a statement. On Tuesday, Rivas introduced a bill that would require ICE to notify an immediate family member of a detainee within 24 hours of a detainee’s transfer. Currently, ICE is required to notify a family member only in the case of a detainee’s death. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency previously stated that Guerrero-Cruz was awaiting deportation to Chile after overstaying his visa, which required him to depart the United States on March 15, 2023.

NBC News [8/28/2025 6:22 PM, Nicole Acevedo, 43603K] reports it’s been nearly a month since immigration authorities detained Catalina "Xochitl" Santiago, a 28-year-old immigrant rights activist, community organizer and beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. According to her family and attorneys, Santiago has valid DACA status, making her one of the nearly 538,000 undocumented young adults brought to the U.S. as children who are currently authorized to work and study. Under the program, DACA recipients are also supposed to be protected from immigration detention and deportation. Santiago was detained on Aug. 3. Before boarding a domestic flight at an airport in El Paso, she was approached by two men in Border Patrol uniforms. A video posted by Movimiento Cosecha shows one of them telling Santiago they needed to question her about how she obtained her work authorization. After that, Santiago was then taken to an immigration detention center and subjected to deportation proceedings. "When I heard of her wrongful detention, it broke me," her brother, José Santiago said in a virtual press call Thursday that included family, attorneys and the support of immigrant advocacy groups calling for her release. "My family couldn’t believe it. We were devastated.". The administration of President Donald Trump has insisted DACA recipients "may be subject to arrest and deportation" because "DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country," according to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Breitbart [8/28/2025 4:55 PM, John Binder, 3077K] reports President Donald Trump’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is resuming vetting procedures, which have not been conducted by investigators in decades, to affirm a legal immigrant’s good moral standing as they seek naturalized American citizenship. This week, USCIS officials announced that agency investigators will resume “neighborhood investigations” of legal immigrants who are applying for naturalized American citizenship. USCIS may seek “testimonial letters from neighbors, employers, co-workers, and business associates who know the alien and can provide substantiated information about the alien, including any of the requirements for naturalization” to avoid a neighborhood investigation, a memo detailing the policy states: “If such evidence is not contained in the alien’s application for naturalization, USCIS may request that the alien submit such evidence. Submitting such evidence proactively with the Application for Naturalization can assist USCIS in determining whether a waiver of a neighborhood investigation is appropriate in a particular case without a need to issue a Request for Evidence.” The goal, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow told CBS News, is to “ensure that only the most qualified applicants receive American citizenship.” “Americans should be comforted knowing that USCIS is taking seriously its responsibility to ensure aliens are being properly vetted and are of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States,” Edlow said.

The Hill [8/28/2025 4:17 PM, Laura Kelly and Rebecca Beitsch, 12414K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is proposing new restrictions on how long foreign journalists can stay in the United States legally, calling for stricter oversight of visa-holders’ activities while in the U.S. In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Thursday, DHS calls for limiting the foreign journalist visa to eight months. DHS said foreign journalists would be eligible for an extension period up to eight months, but no longer than the length of the temporary activity or assignment. The rule also calls for limiting foreign students and exchange visitors to a period of four years. The public has 30 days to offer comments on the rule. The latest proposed change is sure to raise questions over how the Trump administration will vet journalists, including those present and wishing to extend their stay.

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 10:12 AM, Melissa O’Rourke, 985K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rolled out a new rule on Thursday limiting how long foreign students can remain in the country, closing a loophole that officials say has allowed some foreign nationals to become "forever students.". For decades, foreign students on F class visas were permitted to stay for the "duration of status," essentially meaning as long as they were enrolled in higher education courses. The proposed rule follows President Donald Trump’s decision on Monday to allow 600,000 students from China to enroll at American universities, drawing backlash from many of his supporters. DHS officials argue that the proposed rule addresses an open-ended policy that has been abused, with some foreign nationals stretching their student status beyond reasonable limits. "For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens," said a DHS spokesperson. "This new proposed rule would end that abuse once and for all by limiting the amount of time certain visa holders are allowed to remain in the U.S., easing the burden on the federal government to properly oversee foreign students and their history." The proposed rule would cap the length of stay at the duration of the academic program, but not beyond four years. After that, students would have to reapply to remain in the U.S., allowing DHS to review their cases regularly. The rule was originally introduced in 2020 under the first Trump administration but was withdrawn by the Biden administration in 2021, according to DHS.

Reported similarly:
CNN [8/28/2025 9:16 AM, Shania Shelton, 662K]

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 11:38 AM, Melissa O’Rourke, 985K] reports President Donald Trump’s recent policy decisions regarding China could backfire amid trade negotiations with Beijing’s communist regime, China analysts told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Trump announced on Monday that he would allow 600,000 Chinese students to study in the U.S., less than a week after the White House launched an official account on the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. While the president cast the move as a win-win for America, it caused a rare backlash among a swath of his supporters, and some experts warn it could send a dangerous signal to Beijing. "China is more than happy to send 600,000 potential spies here," China expert and author Gordon Chang told the Daily Caller News Foundation. "We do not, at this crucial moment, need to feed China’s already inflated sense of self-importance." Trump defended the move Tuesday, saying the students would be fully vetted and arguing they are vital to the survival of American universities. Over 277,000 Chinese international students were admitted to U.S. colleges between 2023 and 2024 — many of whom pay full tuition — according to the Institute of International Education. "We’re getting along very well with China. And I’m getting along very well with President Xi. I think it’s very insulting to say students can’t come here because they’ll go out, they’ll start building schools and they’ll be able to survive it," Trump said. "I like that their students come here, I like that other countries’ students come here. And you know what would happen? If they didn’t, our college system would go to hell very quickly.". Trump’s announcement does not represent a policy change but maintains existing rules, according a White House official who spoke to Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich.

CBS News [8/29/2025 2:36 AM, Megan Cerullo, Brian Dakss, 45245K] reports an exemption that allowed low-value parcels shipped to the United States to avoid tariffs ended at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Trump administration officials said. President Trump signed an executive order suspending what’s known as the de minimis exemption late last month. At the time, the White House said that would close what it called a "catastrophic loophole" that shippers use to "evade tariffs and funnel deadly synthetic opioids or below-market products" into the U.S. The exemption applied to parcels valued at $800 or less and let overseas retailers ship inexpensive goods to consumers in the U.S. tax-free. Mr. Trump "is putting an end to the proliferation of shippers worldwide that, among other things, deceptively exploit the de minimis privilege in an effort to evade duties, inspection, and U.S. law," the White House said in a fact sheet outlining the new policy. The president "ending of the deadly de minimum loophole will save thousands of American lives by restricting the flow of narcotics and other dangerous prohibited items, and add up to $10 billion a year in tariff revenues to our Treasury," White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters Thursday, the Reuters news agency reported. But there will still be a six-month transition period when postal service shippers can choose to pay a flat duty of $80 to $200 per package depending on the country of origin, Reuters said, citing Trump administration officials. Mr. Trump ended the de minimis loophole for imports from China and Hong Kong in May. It had allowed retailers such as Shein and Temu to ship ultra low-cost apparel and other goods to U.S.-based consumers at bargain-basement prices. Shipments from China and Hong Kong account for most de minimis shipments to the U.S., according to the White House. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Axios [8/29/2025 12:01 AM, Ben Berkowitz, 14595K] reports tariffs on small packages from around the world went into effect early Friday morning, with the end of the "de minimis" exemption on postal shipments to the U.S. worth less than $800. Dozens of national postal services have stopped shipping to the U.S. altogether, because they say the government’s new trade regime is simply too hard to decipher or implement. Even once that’s all worked out, consumers could soon find themselves on the hook for billions of dollars in new fees. From the Latin for a thing of "little importance," the de minimis exemption has historically meant that low-value shipments to the U.S. from other countries did not face tariffs, regardless of other levies on those products or from those countries. Earlier this year, President Trump ended the de minimis exemption for packages from China, which accounted for 60% of the roughly 1.3 billion such parcels last year. The exemption was key to the rise of low-cost Chinese merchants like Shein and Temu. In July, Trump issued an executive order ending it for the rest of the world. The administration believes closing the loophole will generate $10 billion in tariff revenue a year, as well as stem the flow of narcotics, counterfeit goods and weapons from other countries. At least 29 European carriers have issued indefinite or temporary suspensions, or other cautions, about shipments to the U.S. due to the change, per trade group PostEurop. "Critical issues and processes, such as customs duties collection, the data to be collected, and the interaction with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are not yet clearly defined," the group said. Major Asian carriers like Japan Post have taken the same approach, as have Latin American agencies like Correos de Mexico. It’s not clear how long some of these suspensions may last, though the administration accused national carriers of not being up to par with major international shippers on security. The impact of the new rules and the international response is just starting to become clear, as American buyers of goods from yarn to cigars suddenly find themselves unable to get previously regular, small-dollar shipments. A Canadian developer of retro video game hardware took to social media to apologize to U.S. customers for cutting them off; a motorsport graffiti artist did the same.

Reuters [8/28/2025 6:52 PM, David Lawder and Andrea Shalal, 45746K] reports the U.S. tariff exemption for package shipments valued under $800 ends permanently on Friday, with a six-month transition period under which postal service shippers can opt to pay a flat duty of $80 to $200 per package depending on the country of origin, Trump administration officials said on Thursday. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency will begin collecting normal duty rates on all global parcel imports, regardless of value after 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Friday. The move broadens the Trump administration’s cancellation of the de minimis exemption for shipments from China and Hong Kong earlier this year.

USA Today [8/28/2025 4:47 PM, Kathryn Palmer, 64151K] reports more than 30 nations have suspended some parcel shipments to the United States in preparation of new tariff rules going into effect this week. A UN agency responsible for the postal sector said Aug. 26 more than two dozen of its member states had suspended goods consignments to the United States, citing uncertainties over new tariff policies starting on Friday, Aug. 29, and their potential effects on transit services. The pauses are in response to President Donald Trump’s decision in July to sunset the "de minimis" trade agreement, an exemption that for years allowed packages worth less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. In 2024, de minimis shipments coming into the United States were valued at more than $1.36 billion, according to Customs and Border Protection. While many nations’ postal services and several international shipping companies hit pause, others have carved out some exceptions or issued updates to their services over the past week.

FOX Business [8/28/2025 9:35 AM, Alex Nitzberg, 9194K] Video HERE reports with the deadline to end the de minimis exemption that allows duty-free shipment of packages into the U.S., Mexico’s postal service, Correos de México, has paused package delivery to its northern neighbor. A July 31 Department of Homeland Security press release explained that "Under the de minimis treatment, imported goods that are valued at or under $800 were exempt from tariff duties." Due to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, the de minimis exemption will end on Friday, Aug. 29. "For this reason, Correos de México will temporarily suspend postal and package deliveries to the United States starting August 27, 2025, while new operational processes are defined," a statement from the Mexican government noted. "Mexico continues its dialogue with U.S. authorities and international postal organizations to define mechanisms that will allow for the orderly resumption of services, providing certainty to users and avoiding setbacks in the delivery of goods," the statement declared. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Telemundo [8/28/2025 6:19 PM, Claudia Moreno, 6K] reports the U.S. Border Patrol’s El Paso Sector issued an alert to the community about the increase in false information being disseminated by human trafficking organizations through social networks. These criminal networks are using digital platforms to deceive vulnerable people, leading them to believe that there are changes in the asylum process or immigration laws, with the aim of attracting them to illegal and dangerous smuggling operations. "These criminal networks are putting lives at risk by spreading lies to exploit people for profit," said the interim head of Sector El Paso, Walter N. Slosar. They use social media to create false hopes, but the reality is that these trips often end in tragedy. The Border Patrol emphasized that immigration laws have not changed. Anyone who tries to enter the United States illegally through Sector El Paso or any other point between ports of entry will be arrested, prosecuted and deported.

USA Today [8/28/2025 5:03 PM, Natalie Neysa Alund, 64151K] reports during a standoff in Louisiana, police used a robot to help arrest a man wanted in connection to a killing in his home country. Honduran national Elviss Caballero-Zuniga, who had been wanted on a murder charge, was apprehended by police with help from a robot drone in Kenner, a suburb of New Orleans, authorities said. The 53-year-old man’s arrest took place on Friday, Aug. 22, following an "intense standoff" with officials, the U.S. Border Patrol reported. The Kenner Police Department, the agency that handled the arrest, said Caballero-Zuniga surrendered to a SWAT robot and drone team after authorities "breached the front door using the armored vehicle’s ‘boom.’" Photos released by U.S. Border Patrol show agents helping escorting the suspect into a patrol car after his surrender. It was not immediately known whether the suspect had obtained an attorney in the case and police did not elaborate on the murder charge or say who he is accused of killing. Border Patrol said Aug. 27 the man was in custody and facing a felony charge of illegal re-entry into the United States.

Daily Signal [8/28/2025 10:03 PM, Virginia Allen, 668K] reports there is a gap to plug at the southern border, and it’s not in the wall. The Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas, is combating illegal border crossings underground through the city’s extensive storm-drain system. El Paso has more than 100 access points to its storm drain system, according to interim Border Patrol Chief for the El Paso Sector Walter Slosar. "We defend those accesses hard," Slosar tells The Daily Signal. In January, agents in El Paso discovered a large tunnel system leading from Juarez, Mexico, and connecting into the El Paso storm drain system. The tunnel was roughly six feet tall and four feet wide and was even outfitted with lights and a ventilation system, according to Customs and Border Protection. The tunnel has since been sealed, but sealing the city’s storm drains is not an option. El Paso is in a desert, and thunderstorms during the summer monsoon season can quickly lead to flash floods. "During the summer monsoon, it’s not uncommon for a year’s worth of water to fall within a matter of days," according to El Paso Water. The water carries trash and other debris with it, and for that reason, grates cannot be placed on the storm drain entrances for fear trash buildup would block the flow of water. The drains are large to handle the monsoons. Some are even tall enough to stand in. Criminal organization take advantage of the drain system to cross the border illegally from Mexico and then exit through manhole covers in the streets. The Border Patrol Confined Space Entry Team, or CSET, regularly patrols and inspects the storm drains in El Paso. The storm drains are filled with "hidden risks," according to Slosar, including "toxic fumes, animals, confined spaces & floodwaters that rise rapidly. Individuals that exploit these tunnels will face prosecution.” Slosar said Border Patrol is working to develop new technology to prevent illegal crossings through the storm drains. "A lot of that [technology] is going to be able to come in with the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ and the money that we’re about to receive, or we’ve received. We’re very appreciative of that," he said. The Big, Beautiful Bill, which Trump signed into law in July, allocates $165 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, including $46.5 billion to complete border-wall construction, $3.2 billion for "new technology," and $2.7 billion for "new cutting-edge border surveillance," according to the Department of Homeland Security. "We’re going to deny access—subterranean, on the ground, and in the air," Slosar vowed. "That’s where we’re moving. That’s the evolution of technology.”

AP [8/28/2025 7:20 PM, Martha Bellisle, 11503K] reports two firefighters who were part of a 44-person crew fighting a wildland blaze on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula were taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents during a multiagency criminal investigation into the two contractors they worked for, federal authorities said Thursday. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management asked the Border Patrol to help check the workers’ identities Wednesday when crews were working in a remote area, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Border Patrol said in a statement. Border Patrol agents found two workers who were in the U.S. illegally and detained them, the agencies said. Federal authorities did not provide information about the investigation into the contractors, and they did not immediately respond to questions seeking details about the criminal case. The BLM terminated the contracts with Table Rock Forestry Inc. and ASI Arden Solutions Inc. — both from Oregon — and escorted the 42 workers off federal land, the release said. The two arrested were taken to the Bellingham station on charges of illegal entry and reentry, authorities said. Email and phone messages left Thursday for the two businesses seeking comment were not immediately returned. Initial reports saying firefighters had been arrested by federal agents sparked outrage from U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. Several firefighters who witnessed the incident had told The Seattle Times anonymously that federal agents took two firefighters into custody. Murray responded to the news on Thursday by saying the Trump administration has undercut wildland firefighting by "decimating the Forest Service" and their immigration policy "is fundamentally sick.". During the first Trump administration, DHS issued a statement during the 2020 wildfire season saying CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were concerned about the impact the fires could have on Western states and said their highest priority was "the preservation of life and safety.". "In consideration of these circumstances, there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the wildfires, except in the event of a serious public safety threat," the statement said. Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove, whose agency oversees Washington’s wildland firefighting efforts, said he was aware of the enforcement actions at the Bear Gulch Fire. "While we don’t have all of the details yet, this is all occurring at a time when the Trump administration’s crude and inhumane approach to immigration enforcement has intentionally and unnecessarily stoked fear and mistrust among members of the public — including firefighters putting their lives on the line to protect our state," he said.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [8/28/2025 3:46 PM, Anthony Blair, 43962K]
CNN [8/28/2025 3:50 PM, Celina Tebor, 662K]
Washington Examiner [8/28/2025 3:57 PM, Brady Knox, 1563K]

New York Times [8/29/2025 1:03 AM, Francesca Regalado, 143795K] reports Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington said on Thursday that his office was demanding an explanation from federal officials for Border Patrol’s decision to arrest workers who were fighting a wildfire in the state. Mr. Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a statement that he was “deeply concerned” that the Trump administration had targeted firefighters trying to contain the Bear Gulf fire in Olympic National Forest, west of Seattle. Firefighting officials said the Border Patrol’s operation on Wednesday, first reported by The Seattle Times, had not interrupted efforts to control the blaze. In a separate statement, Border Patrol said its agents had made the arrests after the Bureau of Land Management asked for help verifying the identities of 44 people who were working on contractor crews near the fire. The agents identified two workers who were in the country illegally and arrested them, according to the statement. The other 42 workers were escorted from the site. President Trump’s signature domestic policy legislation, which was passed earlier this year, set aside $170 billion to boost enforcement of immigration laws, in part by hiring more immigration officers and increasing raids on workplaces. Mr. Trump has cast the effort as part of a broader attempt to reduce violent crime, which he claims is ruining life in major American cities, despite evidence that crime rates are down in many of the cities he has targeted. Mr. Trump has made it clear that he considers no workplace exempt from immigration enforcement. But the arrests on Wednesday appeared to deviate from past government policy that made exceptions for people dealing with disasters like hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. During the 2021 wildfire season, the Department of Homeland Security, under President Joe Biden, said that immigration enforcement would not be conducted in places where emergency relief was being provided, “absent exigent circumstances.” In the past, federal immigration agents have sometimes assisted firefighters with evacuation efforts. The Bear Gulch fire was 13 percent contained as of Wednesday evening, officials said in an update. High temperatures and dry conditions have fueled what has been one of the worst wildfire seasons in the American West. Parts of Washington State were under a red flag warning early Thursday, and many roads, trails and campfires inside Olympic National Forest were closed.

USA Today [8/28/2025 8:21 PM, Trevor Hughes, 64151K] reports the arrests of two wildland firefighters accused of working illegally in Washington state has sparked a new round of debate over the Trump administration’s priorities about wildfires and immigration enforcement. In videos shared widely on social media, federal immigration agents were recorded detaining two firefighters who were working on federal land in a remote area of the Olympic Peninsula. U.S. Border Patrol officials confirmed to USA TODAY that the men were arrested on immigration violations, while 42 other workers were released after being removed from the property. Videos of the Aug. 27 incident posted to social media have drawn broad condemnation by Washington state residents upset that federal officials halted firefighters’ work to check immigration paperwork. One of the videos showed the yellow-shirted men being handcuffed amid stacks of downed trees in the middle of a forest. "Deeply concerned about this situation with two individuals helping to fight fires in Washington state. I’ve directed my team to get more information about what happened," Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a social media post. The crews were not directly fighting the 9,000-acre Bear Gulch Fire, but were assisting in wildfire-prevention efforts in the area, and federal officials said the arrests did not affect ongoing firefighting. But some state officials say the immigration detentions raise questions about White House priorities at a time when many fire departments have struggled to adequately hire wildland firefighters. Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said the arrests reflect misplaced priorities: "This administration’s immigration policy is fundamentally sick. Trump has wrongly detained lawful green card holders and even CITIZENS. No one should assume this was necessary. These firefighters put their lives on the line for us ALL and Trump is detaining them." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 11:13 AM, Hudson Crozier, 985K] reports the man who authorities say opened fire on a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday legally purchased the guns used in the attack, the city’s police chief reportedly said. Robin Westman used three weapons when he fatally shot two children during a Mass service at Annunciation Catholic School, injured numerous others and fatally shot himself, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Wednesday, according to Fox News. The chief said he had purchased them "recently" without specifying dates. "As to the weapons used to perpetrate this horrific attack, there was a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol," O’Hara reportedly said. "All three had been lawfully purchased by the shooter. At this stage, we believe that the shooter had acted alone. There is no indication of other suspects directly involved in carrying out this attack." Westman appeared to have uploaded manifestos on YouTube that showed a pile of guns, ammunition and cartridges with racial slurs, anti-Christian statements and other ramblings written on them, the Daily Caller news Foundation previously reported. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Wednesday that Westman, who identified as transgender, wrote "where is your God?" on the weaponry. Federal authorities have said they are investigating the attack as a hate crime against Catholics and terrorism.

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 6:14 PM, Ashley Brasfield, 985K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is scrapping thousands of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contracts after billions of dollars in waste and fraud were found. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found FEMA spending on inflated contracts, duplicate services and programs it called fraudulent or unnecessary. In response, DHS is moving to cancel the contracts and boost oversight. The Daily Caller obtained a sample of the contracts flagged by DOGE. "Any American who opened the books at FEMA and saw their lackluster spending controls and policies would be horrified," a FEMA spokesperson told the Caller. "Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been an extraordinary leader, bringing spending best practices, fiscal responsibility, and mission alignment to an agency that has run amok for far too long.". Nearly $10.7 million went to the Ready Campaign’s media deliverables for public safety announcements, while another $3.3 million funded internal marketing meant to cajole FEMA employees into completing an annual survey. The agency also spent $1.6 million on two workshops that covered basics like agendas, save-the-date emails, venue reservations and transportation. Another $1.27 million went to a "conference center concierge" tasked with setting up rooms, arranging audio equipment and keeping spaces clean. FEMA also paid $645,000 to plan short meetings — some lasting barely an hour with fewer than 15 people — including the preparation of talking points and fact sheets. The Trump administration responded with reforms aimed at boosting accountability, efficiency and response. One change required disaster survivors at monthly recertification meetings to show progress toward permanent housing, with goals deemed "realistic" and "achievable" in light of their pre-disaster living conditions. But FEMA’s top brass resisted deeper reforms. Cameron Hamilton, the senior official previously acting as FEMA administrator, defended the agency’s status quo during Noem’s confirmation hearing, and was ousted days later. He was replaced by David Richardson.

FOX News [8/28/2025 2:29 PM, Staff, 40019K] reports that Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem slammed a group of former and current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees who wrote a letter criticizing the Trump administration’s handling of the agency as she outlined her vision for FEMA’s role in the U.S. More than 190 former and current FEMA employees joined an open letter on Monday "in response to the Trump administration’s dismantling cuts and devastating attacks on FEMA programs and missions." On Wednesday morning, the agency’s current employees who signed on to the letter were placed on administrative leave. "I am not surprised that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform; including many who worked under the Biden Administration to turn FEMA into the bureaucratic nightmare it is today," Noem told Fox News Digital on Thursday. "I refuse to accept that FEMA red tape should stand between an American citizen suffering and the aid they desperately need." "That’s why I am working so hard to eliminate FEMA as it exists today, and streamline this bloated organization into a tool that actually benefits Americans in crisis," Noem added. President Donald Trump, who has been critical of the disaster agency since his presidential campaign, told reporters in June that FEMA "has not worked out well." "It’s extremely expensive and, again, when you have a tornado or a hurricane or you have a problem of any kind, in a state, that’s what you have governors for," Trump added. "They’re supposed to fix those problems, and it’s much more local and they’ll develop a system, and it will be a great system."

AP [8/28/2025 5:57 PM, Gabriela Aoun Angueira, 37974K] reports four days after starting his second administration, President Donald Trump floated the idea of “getting rid of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which manages federal disaster response. But at a Thursday meeting, the 12-person review council he appointed to propose changes to FEMA seemed more focused on reforms than total dismantlement. FEMA must be “reformed into an agency that is supporting our local and state officials that are there on the ground and responsive to the individuals that are necessary to help people be healed and whole through these situations,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, who co-chairs the council. But, she added, FEMA “as it exists today needs to be eliminated.” However, the meeting in Oklahoma City offered hints of what types of reforms the council might present to Trump in its final report. Members mainly focused on conventional and oft-cited opportunities for change, such as getting money faster to states and survivors and enhancing the capacity of local emergency managers. But some moves by the administration in the last several months have already undermined those goals, as mitigation programs are cut and the FEMA workforce is reduced. Experts also caution that no matter what the council proposes, changes to FEMA’s authority and operations require Congressional action.

Bloomberg [8/28/2025 12:13 PM, Ellen M. Gilmer, 84K] reports that the Trump administration is considering a narrower window for disaster survivors to file claims for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem outlined the discussion Thursday in a meeting of the FEMA Review Council, a team President Donald Trump established to overhaul the agency. The proposal is one of several changes the administration is weighing as it moves to reorganize FEMA. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [8/28/2025 4:33 PM, Terry Collins, 64151K] reports twenty Federal Emergency Management Agency employees who signed an open letter to Congress criticizing the Trump administration’s preparedness strategy were put on paid leave, according to the nonprofit behind the letter. The employees are currently on leave with no timetable for return, Brian Lovett, a spokesperson for Stand Up for Science, which published the letter, told USA TODAY on Aug. 28. Originally, 36 names − 20 current and 16 former FEMA workers − signed the Aug. 25 letter, but one former FEMA employee asked to remove their name, Lovett said. Lovett said two of the 20 FEMA employees put on leave were working on flood relief efforts in Kerr County, Texas. In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, Stand Up for Science said the workers’ paid leave highlights the extent the Trump administration will go to "silence dissent and underscores the risk of politicizing vital institutions." The FEMA workers’ letter to Congress admonished President Donald Trump’s plan to severely scale down FEMA and shift more responsibility and costs to states. The letter came four days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of most deadliest storms in U.S. history. The FEMA employees’ letter criticized the agency’s current leaders, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting FEMA director David Richardson. The document said they lack the qualifications to manage natural disasters and are eroding the agency’s ability to respond to hurricanes, floods and other emergencies. Additionally, the letter asked Congress to make FEMA an independent, Cabinet-level agency free from interference from DHS and to protect FEMA employees from politically-motivated firings "to prevent not only another national catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina, but the effective dissolution of FEMA itself."

Bloomberg Government [8/28/2025 5:00 AM, Ellen M. Gilmer, 84K] reports twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, disaster officials see a Federal Emergency Management Agency that’s even weaker and less prepared than it was when a catastrophic storm tested its limits in New Orleans. President Donald Trump’s efforts to shift emergency response duties to states upended the federal disaster workforce, with voices inside and outside the agency saying it could test the country’s ability to withstand future catastrophes. FEMA workers, former disaster officials, and watchdogs warn Trump’s downsizing decimated institutional knowledge, cut off the talent pipeline, and hobbled morale among those left. “FEMA is a lot less capable today to respond to a challenge than it was then,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan group focused on federal workers. “To unlearn that fundamental lesson in such a profound way should be incredibly disturbing to everybody.” Trump targeted employees at nearly every agency in his quest to reduce government bureaucracy. The toll is especially high at FEMA, which he’s considered dismantling to shift responsibility to states. Since January, FEMA has moved to terminate hundreds of employees, fired senior career officials, offered early retirement to others, and sidelined the employee union. Trump launched a FEMA Review Council to explore overhauling the agency. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which houses FEMA, defended the changes as a way to cut through red tape in a disaster. “It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Change is always hard. It is especially for those invested in the status quo.”

NPR [8/28/2025 5:26 PM, Michael Copley, 34837K] reports tens of millions of dollars that Congress set aside to help broadcasters strengthen the country’s emergency alert system are in jeopardy, according to public media executives, threatening to leave communities reliant on aging infrastructure as they face growing risks from extreme weather. Between 2022 and 2024, Congress appropriated $136 million to FEMA for the Next Generation Warning System grant program. CPB has been distributing money from FEMA to public radio and television stations to pay for equipment like backup generators and new transmitters so broadcasters could reach more people. But that arrangement fell apart after Republicans in Congress voted in July to strip CPB’s federal funding. As CPB winds down its operations, the organization has said that unless FEMA takes over the grant program, $96 million that Congress allocated for fiscal years 2023 and 2024, as well as some money left over from 2022, won’t be disbursed. CPB recently told public media stations that had been awarded grant funding to stop incurring new expenses, saying FEMA’s "inconsistent reimbursement" in recent months had made it impossible to ensure stations would be repaid. The Office of Management and Budget said in a statement to NPR that the Next Generation Warning System grant program will continue to fund needed infrastructure for emergency alerts and warnings. A new funding announcement FEMA posted earlier this month invited states and Native American tribes to apply for $40 million under the program. But station executives say that because of delays caused by the Trump administration, broadcasters that have already been awarded funding are still waiting to be reimbursed for investments they made, raising doubts about how the administration will handle the program in the future. Stations in remote communities have been hit hardest.

FOX Weather [8/28/2025 10:56 AM, Steven Yablonski] reports rounds of torrential rain and thunderstorms from the Plains to the Deep South are leading to a potentially dangerous setup that could produce life-threatening flash flooding on Thursday. It’s an active weather pattern that the FOX Forecast Center said would remain in place across the region through the rest of the workweek and into the Labor Day holiday weekend. Flooding rain and thunderstorms have already been pushing through communities from the central Plains to the Deep South early Thursday morning, with Flash Flood Warnings issued in parts of Kansas. According to local storm reports received by the National Weather Service, numerous damaging wind gusts were reported in areas such as Johnson City, Kendall, and Moscow in Kansas on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and flood reports were received in Colby, Kansas, early Thursday morning. Travel in Kansas is also being impacted as the morning commute gets underway. The highest flood threat on Thursday spans from parts of southeastern Kansas to areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

CBS News [8/28/2025 8:42 PM, Kati Weis, 45245K] Video: HERE reports twenty years ago Friday, Katrina made its second and most destructive U.S. landfall, coming ashore just southeast of New Orleans as a Category 3 hurricane. While the damage and destruction left by Katrina in 2005 changed New Orleans forever, the storm surge and powerful winds also left a lasting blow to other parts of the Gulf Coast, including Alabama and Mississippi. Two decades later, Biloxi, Mississippi, is still trying to rebuild. Mayor Andrew "FoFo" Gilich says it has been a constant battle with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over funding. To rebuild the city’s pier stronger than before, the city says it needs $4 million. Gilich says FEMA has proposed a different number: $555,000. "$555,000, which in my mind is absolutely ridiculous, you can’t build anything with that," Gilich told CBS News. The biggest unfinished project, though, has been upgrades to the city’s sewage and stormwater system in order to better protect Biloxi from the next monster storm. "We can’t bid these last two projects unless we have assurance of funding," Gilich said. Gilich said FEMA still owes Biloxi $34 million to finish work planned about 20 years ago. FEMA won’t pay it until Biloxi begins the work on the final phase, but Gilich says he doesn’t want to start something he knows he won’t be able to afford to finish. The mayor said as time has passed, the cost of supplies and labor has outpaced the original estimates. Gilich says the city now needs $111 million to finish the project, but FEMA has denied his request for more money — twice. "I’m not bashful, and they [FEMA] understand, you know, where our concern is," said Gilich, who described the way he feels his city has been treated by FEMA as "just ridiculous.” Biloxi submitted a second appeal to FEMA this summer. Over the years, FEMA has tried to claw back some of the money provided for earlier phases of the sewage system upgrades, claiming that the city has not used the federal money it has received appropriately. Biloxi and FEMA reached a court settlement over those concerns a few years ago. Gilich says FEMA’s allegations are "not right.” "Bottom line, I’m here to say we’ve done everything we could possibly do," Gilich added. In documentation Biloxi provided to CBS News, FEMA’s denial this summer of Biloxi’s request was due to the fact that the city, "has not provided documentation substantiating the reasonableness of the costs claimed or demonstrating any errors or omission in the approved...cost estimate requiring adjustment of the costs agreed upon.” Biloxi is not alone in its struggles with FEMA. CBS News found 254 other FEMA Katrina relief projects through the agency that were designed to help municipalities across Louisiana and Mississippi that still aren’t done. Gilich said the experience is "almost like dealing with insurance agents. The delay, depose and deny." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Houston Chronicle [8/29/2025 5:03 AM, Megan Kimble, 2400K] reports Texas lawmakers will adjourn from their second special session with a package of bills headed to the governor’s desk to address the devastating Hill Country floods that killed more than 130 people on July 4 weekend. The legislation includes a $368 million one-time appropriation from the state’s rainy day fund for disaster relief, with $50 million to help local governments purchase flood warning sirens and rain gauges and $28 million for grants for flood monitoring. House Bill 1 requires sleepaway youth camps to create detailed plans – including evacuation, shelter-in-place and first-responder communication protocols – for natural disasters and other emergencies, and establishes civil penalties for noncompliance. Senate Bill 2 expands rapid response training for local officials, creates a tiered licensing system for emergency managers and establishes a statewide volunteer database managed by the Texas Department of Emergency Management. The measure has passed both chambers and is being finalized in a conference committee. House Bill 3, a version of which narrowly failed during the regular session earlier this year, establishes the Texas Interoperability Council to address issues with communication among first responders from different jurisdictions, which may use incompatible devices and infrastructure. Senate Bill 3 requires areas prone to flash floods to install emergency siren systems and instructs the governor’s office to create a grant program to assist local governments with the costs of installing outdoor siren systems. Flash-flood areas required to have outdoor sirens will be identified by the Texas Water Development Board.

NewsMax [8/28/2025 3:21 PM, Michael Katz, 4779K] reports President Donald Trump is committed to using all methods at his disposal to stop the flow of drugs coming into the U.S. from countries such as Venezuela, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela have risen after the U.S. deployed three Navy guided-missile destroyers and more than 4,000 troops to the southern Caribbean and nearby waters to address threats from Latin American drug cartels. Although U.S. Coast Guard and Navy ships regularly operate in the region, this buildup is significantly larger than usual deployments. The U.S. has accused Maduro of leading the Cártel de los Soles and collaborating with groups such as Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel to flood the U.S. with illicit drugs, including fentanyl-laced cocaine.

Breitbart [8/28/2025 1:10 PM, Jasmyn Jordan, 2608K] reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that the Pentagon has shut down Microsoft’s decade-old "digital escort" program, first implemented under a Democrat administration, which allowed Chinese engineers supervised by U.S. contractors to work on sensitive defense cloud systems. He said the Defense Department has launched audits and investigations to assess the program’s impact on national security. In a video statement, Hegseth announced the Department of Defense (DoD) had been made aware of "an Obama–Biden era legacy program called Digital escorts." For nearly a decade, he explained, Microsoft used Chinese coders remotely supervised by U.S. contractors to support sensitive DoD cloud systems, a practice he called an "unacceptable risk." "The use of Chinese nationals to service Department of Defense cloud environments — it’s over," Hegseth remarked. "We’ve issued a formal letter of concern to Microsoft documenting this breach of trust, and we’re requiring a third-party audit of Microsoft’s digital escort program, including the code and the submissions by Chinese nationals. This audit will be free of charge for U.S. taxpayers." Hegseth explained that the DoD has launched two investigations, one into the broader "digital escort" system itself, and another into the work of the Chinese engineers who participated. The Defense Department will also require all contractors to identify and terminate any Chinese involvement in its systems.

DefenseScoop [8/28/2025 3:30 PM, Mikayla Easley, 150K] reports Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that the Pentagon has ended a Microsoft program that allowed Chinese engineers to maintain the department’s sensitive cloud systems, and that it expects all DOD contractors to do the same. The decade-old IT servicing model was brought to light in July following a ProPublica investigation, which found that Microsoft was using U.S.-based “digital escorts” that would take direction on how to fix issues with the Defense Department’s cloud systems from experts based overseas. While the digital escorts had necessary security clearances to work on the Pentagon’s networks, foreign engineers — many of which were based in China — did not. Many of the digital escorts didn’t have the technical expertise to prevent Chinese engineers from inserting malicious code into the Pentagon’s classified networks, according to the report. As a result, Microsoft’s program could have unwittingly exposed the DOD to cybersecurity risks, Hegseth said in a video posted on X. “The use of Chinese nationals to service Department of Defense cloud environments — it’s over,” he said. “We’ve issued a formal letter of concern to Microsoft, documenting this breach of trust, and we’re requiring a third-party audit of Microsoft’s digital escort program, including the code and submissions by Chinese nationals.” Separately, Hegseth has directed another investigation into Microsoft’s digital escorts and the China-based engineers involved to determine whether there were any negative impacts to the Pentagon’s cloud systems as a result of the program. “Did they put anything in the code that we didn’t know about? We’re going to find out,” he said.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [8/28/2025 2:02 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12414K]

NewsMax [8/28/2025 4:22 PM, Jim Thomas, 4779K] reports the consumer credit reporting giant TransUnion has confirmed a major data breach that exposed the personal information of more than 4.4 million Americans, including their Social Security numbers, raising new concerns about identity theft and financial fraud, the Daily Mail reported. TransUnion, one of the nation’s three major credit reporting agencies, disclosed that hackers gained access to sensitive personal details in late July, according to documents filed with Maine’s attorney general. The company said the breach was discovered two days after the July 28 cyberattack. Although the bureau said that "core credit information" was not stolen, the hackers reportedly accessed Social Security numbers and other personal identifiers. The agency maintains records on more than 200 million people in the United States. The breach appears linked to a larger hacking campaign targeting Salesforce’s cloud platform, which also compromised a Google-managed database. The hacking group known as ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility. According to the cybersecurity site Bleeping Computer, the campaign also affected major companies including Farmers Insurance, Allianz Life, Workday, Pandora, Cisco, Chanel, and Qantas.

CyberScoop [8/28/2025 4:30 PM, Staff] reports in this episode of Safe Mode, host Greg Otto talks with Tim Starks about what would happen if the nation’s information sharing law – known as CISA 2015 – expires at the end of September. In our interview segment, Greg talks with Kevin Hanes, CEO of Reveal Security, exploring the critical and often overlooked world of machine identity security. From the blind spots in privileged access management that focus too heavily on human users while machines hold increasingly sensitive roles, to the operational challenges of securing identities in cloud-native, containerized, and AI-powered environments, Kevin shares practical insights on scaling visibility and maintaining accountability across fragmented teams. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

Bloomberg [8/28/2025 11:29 AM, Emily Forgash, 19085K] reports hackers accessed the personal information of more than four million TransUnion customers in July, according to a regulatory disclosure from the major credit reporting agency. TransUnion said in Thursday filings with Maine’s attorney general’s office that the data of 4.4 million customers that had been stored “on a third-party application” was compromised on July 28. The company said it discovered the breach two days later and that “no credit information was accessed.” “Upon discovery, we quickly contained the issue, which did not involve our core credit database or include credit reports,” a TransUnion spokesperson, Jon Boughtin, said in an email. The company is working with law enforcement and has outside cybersecurity experts reviewing the breach, which Boughtin said “involved unauthorized access to limited personal information for a very small percentage of US consumers.” The company declined to answer detailed questions about the breach, including who the hackers are, if they made any demands of the company and what kind of personal data they accessed. TransUnion, which is based in Chicago, stores the financial data of more than 260 million Americans, making it one of the main credit reporting companies in the US.

FOX News [8/28/2025 12:09 PM, Morgan Phillips, 40019K] reports Foxit, a major PDF software company founded in China, removed any mention of its various U.S. government customers from its website after Fox News Digital began asking questions about its government ties and Chinese connections. The company develops PDF software for reading, editing and signing documents, with customers ranging from businesses to U.S. agencies. Foxit was founded in 2001 in Fuzhou, China, by Eugene Xiong. Its parent company — Fujian Foxit Software Development Joint Stock Co., Ltd. — is traded on the Shanghai stock market and oversees a U.S. subsidiary based in Fremont, Calif. Until Fox News Digital began pressing Foxit on its background, the company’s website touted clients across the federal government — from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and State Department to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. courts and the Department of Transportation. But following Fox News Digital’s request for comment, Foxit scrubbed any mention of U.S. government customers from its site. The company did not respond to questions. Over the course of reporting, multiple agencies confirmed they had either removed Foxit products or no longer maintained active contracts with Foxit’s U.S. subsidiary.

StateScoop [8/28/2025 2:35 PM, Keely Quinlan] reports Nevada state officials confirmed Wednesday night that the “security incident” that was detected on Sunday was a ransomware attack, and that while the investigation is still ongoing, it appears the perpetrators stole state data. During a press conference Wednesday evening, Nevada Chief Information Officer Timothy Galluzi shared more details about the cyberattack. While the forensic investigation is still ongoing, Galluzi shared that it has revealed evidence that some state data has been exfiltrated from the state’s system without authorization. He said it is unclear what type of data was stolen. “I need to be very clear on the next point. At this stage of our intensive investigation, we cannot yet identify or classify the specific nature of this data. The process of analyzing the information to determine exactly what was taken is complex, methodical and time consuming,” he said. “Speculation on the data that was affected before we have any definitive proof would be irresponsible.” Galluzi said the state’s data center operations team first detected anomalous activity on its server on Sunday morning, and the state immediately activated its cybersecurity incident response plan. This included, he said, isolating certain systems and taking them offline to prevent further intrusion on the state’s systems. This containment process, Galluzi said, caused several of the state’s web assets to go dark — including the state’s main website, NV.gov, along with many agency sites and online services — which he acknowledged has caused ample problems across the state’s operations. “Our goal is to restore full functionality as soon as possible, but we have a duty to do so safely and securely,” he said, adding that while several of the assets are still offline, the state must ensure the threat is “eradicated” before bringing them back online.

Federal News Network [8/28/2025 10:45 AM, Michele Sandiford, 1147K] reports the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is warning about another China-linked cyber espionage campaign. In a joint advisory yesterday, CISA and partner agencies said Chinese state-sponsored actors are exploiting vulnerabilities in routers used by telecommunications providers and other infrastructure operators. They say the campaign’s goal is to gain long-term access to critical infrastructure networks around the world. The advisory includes several recommendations to guard against the hacking spree. The threat groups highlighted in the advisory include Salt Typhoon and other advanced persistent threat actors.

Washington Examiner [8/28/2025 5:06 PM, Jenny Goldsberry, 1563K] reports the University of Pittsburgh Barco Law School is the latest college to experience an active shooter threat. This threat comes amid a rise in active shooter threats at universities nationwide. These false reports have prompted the FBI to investigate the matter further. "The FBI is seeing an increase in swatting events across the country, and we take potential hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk," an FBI statement read. "Knowingly providing false information to emergency service agencies about a possible threat to life drains law enforcement resources, costs thousands of dollars and, most importantly, puts innocent people at risk."

Axios [8/28/2025 12:48 PM, Josephine Walker, 14595K] reports that Bad actors have tricked roughly a dozen different colleges and universities into issuing active shooter alerts as students return to campus for a new school year. Why it matters: Identifying the actors involved in swatting sprees has become increasingly difficult for law enforcement as the attacks frequently originate online, overseas, or by using AI software — and it’s only going to get worse, multiple public safety officials told Axios. State of play: The FBI has seen swatting incidents increase nationwide, similar to the spate of false calls that caused terror in schools during the 2022-2023 school year. "It’s a little like bomb threats," Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, said. "Over the decades, they’ve had peaks and valleys, and this one may be coming out of the valley as we’re starting back to school." Identifying the fake callers can be hard due to new techniques that allow people to mask their identities, such as using AI-generated voices, caller ID spoofing and masking a user’s IP address. "It’s hard for any agency to justify that level of investment in enforcement if at the end of the road your target is going to be someone outside of your jurisdiction," Mark Reddish, a certified master firefighter and the former director of external affairs at the Center for AI Policy, told Axios. Republican and Democratic lawmakers, federal judges and Secret Service agents have also been the targets of swatting attacks in recent years.

NewsMax [8/28/2025 12:27 PM, Jim Mishler, 4779K] reports that New York City is adding police protection at churches in response to the deadly attack on Wednesday at a Catholic school in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Local WINS reported that the department said in a statement: "Out of an abundance of caution, we are deploying additional resources at houses of worship, specifically to churches, to ensure that all New Yorkers stay safe." The department added that it was "closely following" the developments after the attack. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan posted on social media that he was saddened by the attack. "Once again we are shocked and horrified by the news of another senseless shooting, this time all the more disturbing because it happened at a Catholic church and school, which should always be sanctuaries of peace," he wrote. In the neighboring state of Connecticut, where many schools are beginning their academic year this week, several local police departments increased security. CTInsider reported that students and staff will notice the protective envelope in Middletown. The town mayor and police chief released a joint statement, saying, "As students arrive for their first day of the new school year — our Police Department will have a visible presence at all of our schools." The chief of police in Minneapolis told reporters after the attack that, armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, 23-year-old Robin Westman fired dozens of times toward young children and adults sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School. The shooter, he said, died by suicide.

Daily Wire [8/28/2025 1:15 PM, Mary Margaret Olohan, 3184K] reports federal authorities arrested a young person on Wednesday evening in Washington, D.C., who had threatened violence toward a school, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed during Thursday’s press briefing. Following the briefing, a White House official shared data with The Daily Wire that clarified the juvenile was arrested in Ward 7 for threats to kidnap and injure, as well as receiving stolen property, possession of a large capacity feeding device, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Authorities executed a search warrant and recovered 7 firearms from this juvenile, who was arrested "after an investigation was initiated based on social media posts allegedly threatening violence toward a school.". Leavitt shared the news of the arrest after being asked by Iris Tao, a White House reporter for New Tang Dynasty Television, about American parents who might be concerned for their children’s safety after the Minneapolis shooting, which took place Wednesday morning around 8:30 a.m., when a transgender-identifying man named Robert Westman fired through the windows of the Annunciation Catholic School’s church in Minneapolis as students attended daily mass on their first day of school. He killed two children, ages 8 and 10, injuring 17 others before he shot himself in the parking lot. She tells me a DC juvenile was arrested last night after a probe into posts threatening school violence. 7 guns were seized. "We completely and totally understand the concerns of parents across the country," Leavitt responded. "This tragedy is heartbreaking, as a parent myself, there are no words to describe just the heartbreak that these families must be enduring, which is why the president and the first lady have encouraged everyone to continue to pray for these families and these victims and it’s why this administration is focused on removing public safety threats from our communities.". "This was a juvenile who was a risk to not just himself but the community here in Washington and he was removed from the community last night because of the law enforcement efforts of this administration," Leavitt said.

NBC News [8/28/2025 11:02 PM, Erik Ortiz, Daniel Arkin, Tim Stelloh and Corky Siemaszko, 43603K] reports that, more than seven years before Robin Westman opened fire on a Catholic school as Mass was underway, killing two children and injuring 17 more worshippers, police were called to a townhouse in the Twin Cities suburb where she lived with her mother. The heavily redacted police report NBC News obtained from the police department in Eagan, Minnesota, is dated Jan. 26, 2018, and it includes a two-word description explaining why an officer was dispatched to that address: mental health. It also includes a brief synopsis that reads "assisted Mendota Heights with a check welfare of a juvenile." Mendota Heights is another Twin Cities suburb. The name of that juvenile and what exactly prompted police to be summoned to the three-bedroom home on Crane Creek Lane were blacked out in the report. Two years before the mental health call, police responded to a report of a "criminal offense" at the residence, according to a police report. But beyond noting that the case was closed, the report blacks out all the details describing the event. Investigators probing Wednesday’s deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis continue to search for a clear motive to explain why Westman, 23, committed the act of terror. Westman, who died by suicide after the shooting, was a trans woman and had been a student at Annunciation. Her mother, Mary Grace Westman, had once worked at the school. Minnesota has a red flag law that went into effect in January 2024, allowing family members and others to petition the courts to have guns removed from a person they believe poses a threat to themselves or the community. The state passed a law in 2023 requiring gun buyers to pass universal background checks and to obtain permits for pistols or semiautomatic military-style assault weapons. But it does not appear any alarms were sounded as Westman amassed an arsenal that included the rifle, the pistol and the shotgun used in the attack on the church. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Thursday that authorities do not have information indicating that Westman suffered from mental illness and that, other than a traffic ticket, she did not have a police record. "There is nothing in the investigation so far that would lead us to believe that anything was missed," O’Hara said. The shooter, he said, was able to "lawfully purchase these weapons.” O’Hara added that Westman’s family has been cooperating with investigators, but they have not yet located his mother, who lives in another state. Records show her residence as being in Florida. Ryan Garry, an attorney for Mary Grace Westman, told NBC News he did not have a comment at this time. The FBI’s special agent in charge in Minneapolis, Alvin M. Winston Sr., said the agency had not had any previous contact with the shooter. "We did a check of all of our holdings, the FBI holdings, and he was not in our holdings prior to this incident, so we didn’t have anything on him at that time," Winston said.

Breitbart [8/28/2025 3:23 PM, AWR Hawkins, 2608K] reports on Thursday, FBI director Kash Patel used an X post to let Americans know the federal agency is investigating the "barbaric attack" carried out on the Minneapolis Catholic school by a "male subject" named Robert Westman. Breitbart News reported that the attacker was named Robert until age 17, at which time he sought to change his name to "Robin" and identify as a female. FOX News correspondent Brook Taylor reported that his mother signed off on the name change from Robert to "Robin." He then pointed out that FBI "teams have gathered information and evidence demonstrating this was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology." Patel expounded on the "hate-filled ideology" by noting that Westman "expressed hatred and violence toward Jewish people, writing ‘Israel must fall,’ ‘Free Palestine,’ and using explicit language related to the Holocaust." He also noted that Westman "wrote a an explicit call for violence against President Trump on a firearm magazine." On Wednesday, just hours after the heinous shooting in which children were killed and wounded during Mass, Breitbart News noted that Patel made clear the incident would be investigated as a "hate crime targeting Catholics." Early on, he explained that the FBI was investigating the heinous attack as "an act of domestic terrorism."

ABC News [8/28/2025 9:32 AM, Staff, 27036K] Video: HERE reports ABC News contributor and former FBI agent Richard Frankel explains what goes into determining if an incident is a hate crime or act of domestic terrorism.

NewsMax [8/28/2025 7:06 AM, Eric Mack, 4779K] reports First lady Melania Trump called for stronger efforts to identify potential school shooters before they act, following Wednesday’s mass shooting in Minnesota by Robin Westman, who wrote "kill Donald Trump" and "Where is your God?" on the murder weapons. "The tragic mass killing in Minnesota illuminates the need for preemptive intervention in identifying potential school shooters," she wrote Wednesday night in a post on X. "Early warning signs are often evident, with many individuals exhibiting concerning behaviors and making violent threats online prior to their actions. "To prevent future tragedies, it is crucial we look into behavioral threat assessments across all levels of society — beginning in our homes, extending through school districts and of course, social media platforms. "Being aware of these warning signs and acting quickly can save lives and make American communities safer."

USA Today [8/28/2025 12:42 PM, Will Carless, Nick Penzenstadler, and Natalie Neysa Alund, 75552K] reports the writings left behind by the shooter in Wednesday’s deadly attack at a Minnesota church have many of the underpinnings of a troubled person - and leave just as much confusion over why the mass shooting occurred. The suspect, Robin Westman, 23, appears to have posted at least two videos on YouTube. The first showed a multiple-page document written in English but in Cyrillic characters. The second showed a four-page document in which the shooter apologizes to family and friends and writes about feeling pain and suffering. The rest of the video shows the shooter displaying an arsenal of weapons including a rifle, a handgun, a shotgun and several magazines of ammunition, scrawled on with a mishmash of political messages and in-jokes. Authorities say the cryptic writings are at the forefront of a domestic terror investigation into Westman and what FBI Director Kash Patel said was anti-Catholic attack that killed two children and injured 17 others during a Catholic school Mass before committing suicide in the rear of the church. But like with many mass shooters, Westman’s motives - even with the detailed writings - will be hard to decipher into anything meaningful that could prevent future attacks. Westman is believed to have been a former student at the Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis, but authorities say it’s unclear what role that may have played. In a post on social media, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the shooter had the words "‘For the Children’ and ‘Where is your God?’ and ‘Kill Donald Trump’ on a rifle magazine.". "This level of violence is unthinkable. Our deepest prayers are with the children, parents, families, educators, and Christians everywhere," Noem wrote. "We mourn with them, we pray for healing, and we will never forget them."

New York Post [8/28/2025 4:07 PM, Chris Nesi, 43962K] reports transgender mass shooter Robin Westman blindly fired over 100 rifle rounds and at least three shotgun blasts through the windows of Annunciation Catholic Church after being unable to enter through the locked exterior doors, Minneapolis Police said in an update Thursday. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the church’s practice of locking doors during Mass "without a doubt" saved additional lives, preventing Westman from getting a clear line of sight to his child victims — who Acting US Attorney for district of Minnesota Joe Thompson said the deranged gunman "wanted to watch suffer." Two children were killed in the cowardly mass shooting, which unfolded Wednesday morning as the church was packed with children for a celebratory back-to-school Mass. There were also 18 injured victims, 15 of them children, police said Thursday — one more injured child than was reported Wednesday.

The Hill [8/28/2025 4:06 PM, Amalia Huot-Marchand, 12414K] reports local law enforcement and the FBI will go through videos and writings from the perpetrator of a deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, police said Thursday. O’Hara said that they discovered "literally hundreds of pieces of evidence" but did not find additional firearms. He also said the FBI will help them go through these pieces of evidence. Four warrants were already issued for the church and residences tied to the shooter, but officers are trying to get an electronic warrant to sift through the shooter’s electronic devices. The shooter had scheduled to publish a manifesto on YouTube around the time of the shooting. The video was taken down and is being investigated by authorities. Law enforcement already found multiple messages written on gun magazines, including one that said "Kill Donald Trump." Law enforcement determined that the suspected shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, was a former student. The suspect’s mother worked at the parish. On Wednesday, Westman opened fire on the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. The children were attending back-to-school mass. Westman, armed with a rifle, shotgun and a pistol, killed two children, wounded 14 others and wounded three adults. O’Hara said some victims are still in critical condition, but "all of the victims are expected to survive." Westman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Reported similarly:
CNN [8/28/2025 6:17 PM, Casey Tolan, Curt Devine, Allison Gordon, Audrey Ash, Rob Kuznia, John Miller, Nina Subkhanberdina, 23245K]
NewsNation [8/28/2025 3:51 PM, Zach Kaplan, 6811K]

Washington Examiner [8/28/2025 4:58 PM, David Zimmermann, 1563K] reports the deceased transgender shooter who opened fire on students and teachers at a Catholic church and school in Minneapolis on Wednesday "expressed hate" for nearly "every group imaginable," said a federal prosecutor overseeing the investigation. Joseph Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota, said on Thursday that 23-year-old Robin Westman, who was born Robert, exhibited "pure, indiscriminate hate" against Catholics, Jews, and many other groups. He noted the shooter also hated President Donald Trump, whose name was invoked in a violent message on the suspect’s gun magazines. Assisting the Minneapolis Police Department, the FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on Thursday that the bureau had determined "this was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology" based on the evidence gathered so far. Westman displayed an obsession with other mass shooters and a desire to kill children, according to officials. The mass shooters who inspired him were not named. State and federal authorities are continuing to search for a clear motive as they comb through Westman’s manifesto. Initially posted on YouTube before getting taken down, the manifesto featured disturbing writings concerning Jews, children, and other groups.

NPR [8/28/2025 4:58 PM, Odette Yousef, 34837K] Audio: HERE reports FBI director Kash Patel says yesterday’s mass shooting at a Minnesota church was domestic terrorism, driven by hate-filled ideology. But extremism analysts say their research points to something else.

Daily Caller [8/28/2025 11:13 AM, Hudson Crozier, 985K] reports the man who authorities say opened fire on a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday legally purchased the guns used in the attack, the city’s police chief reportedly said. Robin Westman used three weapons when he fatally shot two children during a Mass service at Annunciation Catholic School, injured numerous others and fatally shot himself, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Wednesday, according to Fox News. The chief said he had purchased them "recently" without specifying dates. "As to the weapons used to perpetrate this horrific attack, there was a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol," O’Hara reportedly said. "All three had been lawfully purchased by the shooter. At this stage, we believe that the shooter had acted alone. There is no indication of other suspects directly involved in carrying out this attack." Westman appeared to have uploaded manifestos on YouTube that showed a pile of guns, ammunition and cartridges with racial slurs, anti-Christian statements and other ramblings written on them, the Daily Caller news Foundation previously reported. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Wednesday that Westman, who identified as transgender, wrote "where is your God?" on the weaponry. Federal authorities have said they are investigating the attack as a hate crime against Catholics and terrorism.

New York Times [8/28/2025 11:53 PM, Mattathias Schwartz, 143795K] reports a federal judge on Thursday rejected Saudi Arabia’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit by the families of Sept. 11 victims, allowing a long-running case that has unearthed new evidence and rankled U.S.-Saudi relations to proceed. The decision in the case, which alleges that Saudi government agents in the United States provided “an essential support network” for the hijackers, rested on an unusual carve-out Congress created to make it easier for the families to pursue the suit. In most circumstances, foreign governments are protected from civil lawsuits under the doctrine of sovereign immunity. But in a 45-page opinion, Judge George B. Daniels of the Southern District of New York ruled that Saudi Arabia could still be sued because of an exception in the 2016 law Congress passed to enable such Sept. 11 suits against the kingdom, called the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. Thursday’s ruling means that a 23-year legal saga will continue, and could eventually go to trial on the merits, though the Saudi government could avoid that outcome by winning an appeal of Judge Daniel’s decision or settling. The case, which dates to 2002, has already created friction for U.S.-Saudi relations as the relatives of victims along with survivors and insurance companies seek financial damages for the 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. In order for the 2016 law’s exception to apply, the plaintiffs sought to show that two Sept. 11 hijackers who were getting settled in California received assistance from at least one Saudi government agent as part of the agent’s official duties. Judge Daniels found that one man tied to the Saudi government, Omar al-Bayoumi, “seemed to serve as a connecting point between the hijackers and many other people who had provided assistance to the hijackers at one point or another,” and that his activity was “inconsistent with his official employment title” as an accountant for a Saudi aviation company.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [8/28/2025 5:32 PM, Jacob Rosen, Joe Walsh, 45245K]

DefenseScoop [8/28/2025 6:30 PM, Jon Harper, 150K] reports Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced that he’s directed the establishment of a new task force to serve as the Pentagon’s lead organization for developing capabilities to defeat small drones. The new organization, dubbed Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401), will be formally stood up by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Hegseth said in a video posted on X. The existing Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office, or JCO, will be disestablished, according to a new memo from Hegseth. The creation of JIATF 401 and elimination of the JCO will “better align authorities and resources to rapidly deliver” counter-small UAS capabilities to America’s warfighters, Hegseth wrote in his directive to Pentagon leadership. The task force will report to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg. “My priorities for transformation and acquisition reform include improving C-sUAS mobility and affordability and integrating capabilities into warfighter formations. DoD must focus on speed over process by disestablishing the JCO and establishing JIATF 401 with expanded authorities to execute capability development and delivery timelines that outpace the threat,” Hegseth wrote. The move comes amid growing concerns by Defense Department leaders about the threats posed by adversary UAS overseas as well as in the homeland.

Wall Street Journal [8/28/2025 9:00 PM, Gavin Bade and Bob Tita, 646K] reports the Trump administration plans to expand national-security tariffs on steel, aluminum and a variety of other industries in coming months in hopes of redirecting production in these sectors to the U.S. and thwarting potential legal threats in the trade war. Tariffs on steel and aluminum were expanded this month, covering more than 400 new product lines with 50% levies and increasing compliance costs for companies. Those charges will likely be broadened further, along with expansions of existing tariffs on copper and automotive parts. New levies on sectors like semiconductors, heavy trucks, pharmaceuticals and ingredients, processed critical minerals, and commercial aircraft and parts, among others, are also likely to be unveiled in coming months. President Trump has imposed the national security tariffs alongside a broader set of levies: the reciprocal tariffs that Trump announced in April on virtually every nation, sparking months of negotiations with dozens of U.S. trading partners. Trump’s team has tried to keep those negotiations focused only on the reciprocal levies, arguing the sectoral tariffs are non-negotiable because they are based on security imperatives. Even so, major economies like the European Union, Japan and South Korea have secured commitments from the Trump administration to cap many of the national security levies at 15%—particularly on strategic sectors like automobiles—if the foreign governments meet certain conditions like lowering charges on U.S. goods. Despite those commitments, Trump still holds near-unilateral authority over how national security tariffs are set or altered. That gives the administration an insurance policy if its reciprocal tariffs are struck down in court, people with knowledge of the administration’s plans say. The reciprocal tariffs are based on a novel interpretation of presidential emergency authorities, and are subject to a court challenge that could force the administration to refund those duties to companies. The sector-specific tariffs, by contrast, are imposed under a separate legal authority that is far more established and durable—Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. A federal appeals court heard arguments on the reciprocal levies last month, and whichever side loses is expected to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court, which could rule as soon as June. In the meantime, the administration intends to broaden the coverage of Section 232 tariffs so they can remain in place, or be expanded, if the administration loses in court and needs to find another legal authority for its reciprocal duties.

Reuters [8/28/2025 12:48 AM, Sarah Morland and Michelle Nichols, 45746K] reports the United States and Panama will propose a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council that aims to establish a force to suppress powerful armed gangs in Haiti, acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said on Thursday. The Security Council authorized an initial force in October 2023 and it partially deployed in June last year, but the largely Kenyan force has struggled with lack of resources and manpower, and made little headway in helping national police hold off territorial gains made by gangs. Shea said the draft resolution proposed establishing a "gang suppression force" and creating a U.N. Support Office to provide logistical ground support to the force in Haiti and to "properly and sustainably resource this effort.". U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had suggested the establishment of such an office earlier this year. The number of Haitians internally displaced by the conflict, meanwhile, has swelled to around 1.3 million. Guterres on Thursday called for stronger material support including more vigorous enforcement of an arms embargo. The U.N. estimated most guns held by the armed groups are trafficked from Florida. It was not immediately clear how the proposed resolution would align with the existing U.N.-backed force in Haiti, which counts under 1,000 troops according to recent estimates - less than half the level it had hoped to mobilize.

USA Today [8/28/2025 11:37 AM, Kim Hjelmgaard and Bart Jansen, 64151K] reports the White House told Denmark to "calm down" after officials in Copenhagen summoned the United States’ top diplomat there over allegations Americans have been trying to manipulate public opinion in Greenland. The Danish allegations first emerged in an investigation by Denmark’s public broadcaster DR, which reported on Aug. 27 that at least three Americans had sought to sway public attitudes in favor of President Donald Trump’s stated desire to acquire Greenland for national security reasons. DR’s report alleged that the Americans, none of whom were named, tried to shift opinion in Greenland by forming relationships with local politicians, business chiefs and community leaders. One of the Americans, DR’s report said, compiled a list of potential allies and opponents of Trump’s wish to annex Greenland. Trump has not commented on the reports or Denmark’s reaction. But a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, "We think the Danes need to calm down." That comment came after Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen summoned Mark Stroh, the top U.S. diplomat in Denmark, for an explanation about the report.

Washington Examiner [8/28/2025 8:49 PM, Emily Hallas, 1563K] reports the Trump administration on Thursday authorized a major weapons shipment to Ukraine to aid the country in its fight against Russian invasion, intensifying pressure on Moscow to end its war on Kyiv. The State Department notified Congress that Ukraine is using funding from allies, in addition to U.S. foreign military financing, to pay Washington for $825 million worth of weapons, including 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition missiles and 3,350 GPS units, along with military training and technical support. The announcement comes as President Donald Trump has intensified a push to end the Russia-Ukraine war and pressed NATO allies to pay the U.S. for weapons to Kyiv, marking a distinction from the Biden administration’s foreign policy. After European partners received intense pressure from Trump to put more financial skin in the fight, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, in early August, shelled out over one billion dollars for American weapons to send to Ukraine. The same countries, excluding Sweden, financially backed the latest purchase of $825 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, as noted in Thursday’s notice from the State Department. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has become the lead negotiator in multiple peace deals, is meeting with Ukrainian leaders in New York this week amid renewed efforts from the White House to get Kyiv and Moscow to resolve the conflict. Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month for talks on ending the war, as the White House has sought to build bridges with both countries involved in the war to bring hostilities to a lasting halt. The Trump administration initially paused shipments of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, including Patriot air defense missiles, in a July 1 announcement. Speaking at the time of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, Trump said, "We’re giving weapons, but we’ve given so many weapons. But we are giving weapons, and we’re working with them and trying to help them," he added. "You know, Biden emptied out our whole country, giving them weapons. And we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell argued the decision marked a move to carry out the president’s "America First" agenda. "We can’t give weapons to everybody all around the world. We have to look out for America and defending our homeland and our troops around the world," he said. "The president and the secretary will make those decisions about what happens with those weapon systems, obviously, keeping in mind that the president was elected on an ‘America First’ platform to put America first.”

Reuters [8/28/2025 6:52 PM, Staff, 45746K] reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a group of European leaders on Thursday it was important to produce a clear definition of security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a plan to secure a peace settlement with Russia after 3-1/2 years of war. The virtual meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki and the leaders of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Denmark was organised in Poland and followed an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv that local officials said killed 22 people. Zelenskiy said the meeting’s participants had "synchronised" positions by seeking greater pressure on Russia ahead of diplomatic meetings on the Ukraine conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbour in February 2022. In his remarks to the meeting, posted on the presidential website, Zelenskiy said Ukraine believed Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was still interested only in continuing the war. Ukraine needed a solid basis for security guarantees that U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to and that have been under discussion for a week, and a shared understanding that Putin deserved more pressure, Zelenskiy said. "And when we talk about security guarantees, we need clear answers - who will help us defend on the ground, in the air and at sea if Russia comes again?" he said. "And how exactly you can take part. I’m asking you to define your role.". Zelenskiy said it was "important that President Trump sees we in Europe are united in our determination to end the war".

Reuters [8/29/2025 4:10 AM, Staff, 45746K] reports China’s military and coast guard said they conducted patrols on Friday in the waters around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the busy waterway of the South China Sea. The coast guard has stepped up law enforcement patrols in the area since the beginning of August, it said in a statement, vowing to "safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests". China sent its naval and air forces on "combat readiness" patrols in the waters and airspace around the atoll, the Southern Theatre Command said in a separate statement. he Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to emailed queries about the statements.
A Chinese coast guard vessel was damaged this month in a collision with a Chinese naval vessel near the Scarborough Shoal, in the first known crash between China’s ships there.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

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